I Can't Dream Alone
by Shurikenx
Summary: This wasn't all one-sided. Surely, surely, it couldn't have been. These feelings? These desires? And for my little brother no less? Maybe I'm twisted, warped, insane. Maybe. But, maybe he is too. /ItaSasu, uchihacest, strong lemons/limes throughout./
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:: **

Okay. I'm back with a new series story -- and this will be my first one since 'The Blind Leading The Blind'. I'm kinda nervous. --haha-- **Anyway.** This story is still set in Konoha etc. etc. (not an AU.) - and will contain the usual stuff. Yaoi, **strong **incest, **lemons**/limes/anything-citrusy, phsycological torment - and, yeah. Like I said, all the usual. I'll put the second chapter up tomorrow - as it is already done, but I'd like to get a few reviews before I update. Let me know what you think of it, ne? Enjoy.

* * *

_Everytime I try to fly..._

_... I fall._

* * *

Chapter 1

The man before them was slumped against the trunk of an old willow tree – his shape nearly hidden by the mass of hanging branches and leaves. The two ANBU both took a step closer; the only sounds being that of their crunching footsteps amongst dead leaves, and the rasping – almost _painful_ – sound of the man's breath.

He sounded injured. Maybe a punctured lung or fractured ribs – but, whatever the cause; the man, inevitably, couldn't move from his seated position. The wind rustled the willow leaves, giving the shallow silence more depth with the sound of drying leaves swaying together – a noise which, one ANBU noticed, seemed uncannily like whispers – mocking and taunting and chilling. He lifted his shoulders a little under his heavy armour; trying to shrug off the creeping feeling that goose pimpled his flesh.

'Itachi.' The first ANBU called out, whilst his partner remained beside him, a cold sweaty hand reaching for the handle of the kunai tucked firmly in his belt. The reassurance of the metal gave him a little flicker of confidence in the presence of such a powerful enemy.

_Where was the power now? _

It wasn't in the way the man was positioned; low on the ground, back to the tree – legs outstretched at slightly odd angles. It wasn't in the way his head had lolled forward slightly; his chin touching his chest. And it definitely wasn't in the way his once strong voice now rasped out the words:

'I knew… you'd find me.'

Both ANBU paused, letting the voice which _should_ have made them quake in fear register in their minds. What had happened to the murderer of the Uchiha Clan? Where was the strength he had once possessed? Neither ANBU knew.

Together, they took another slow step forward.

'We're going to take you to Konoha.' One said. 'We'll give you over to the police squad; and you'll be under arrest. We can't let a criminal like you be running around the place.'

Something told both men that this particular criminal wouldn't be running anytime soon. The man under the heavy weight of their gazes shifted slightly – his dark cloak enveloping his body rubbing against the bark of the tree. It was ripped in many places – and the scarlet clouds emblazoned across its front were faded with dust and dirt.

'Konoha…' Itachi muttered to himself, repeating the name of his hometown slowly; as if recalling a distance memory that struggled to make its way to the surface of his mind.

The two ANBU looked nervously at each other – both unable to tell the other's expression beneath their painted masks. One swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat like a knot of rope – and the other gave a small cough before he began to speak.

'We're placing you, Itachi Uchiha under arrest as stated by the Konoha Institute of Criminal Welfare.' The words which he had rehearsed countless times were lacking the true strength needed to enforce them – and were a little shaky with both nerves and fear. Even though the enemy didn't _appear_ able to attack – both ninjas were still wary. Never let your guard down: - rule number 41 of the ANBU training regime. And in a situation like this, to keep your guard _up – _was very important. It could all be a trap – a big joke ending in death for the two ninjas.

The thought made them both shudder.

Itachi watched from the corner of his scarlet eye as the ninjas approached – a scroll unfurling in one's hand. Ah, it was an old parchment of draining jutsu, Itachi noticed with a flicker of the sharingan. So, they plan to drain me of chakra? He almost laughed to himself – and would have – were it not for his smashed ribs and bruised lungs. He watched the figures nearing; watched as they began raising their armour-clad arms to part their way through the heavy curtain of willow branches.

They placed the scroll by his feet, and both performed a variety of hand signs; creating a sickening bluish hue form like mist around the scroll. Itachi smiled, feeling his muscles loosen as their energy was drawn from them and captured within the seal on the parchment. He didn't scream at the sudden lurching sensation of pain. His sharingan didn't emit one single emotion from behind their crimson pupils – not giving the slightest hint of the pain that he must've been going through. Both ANBU ninja knew that it would have to be a lot.

Itachi was silent. He could handle pain.

He thrived from it.

The inked kanji glowed as they fed off the man's chakra – and both ANBU breathed a small sigh of relief as they watched the body at their feet fall limply to one side. The scarlet eyes were closed in unconsciousness – and yet, there was something slightly 'off' about the situation. Neither ANBU could place their fingers on what it was.

'What now Hayate?' One said gently, his eyes never leaving the cloaked figure at his feet. 'We take him to Konoha and inform the Hokage.' The other replied in a murmur, as if he were afraid that the loudness of his voice would 'awaken' the enemy below them.

Both ANBU set about deciding how best to transport the legendary ninja – and began setting up a small jutsu of teleportation. As they vanished with the body of the man held in their arms, Hayate suddenly realised what was so curious about the situation.

As the leaves whirled around them, and their chakra dispelled from deep within their veins to transport them to Konoha – he glanced down at the man's face.

Itachi Uchiha's lips had fallen into a smile.

* * *

_**He'd have to pay. **_

_Sasuke was only little when Itachi had taken his first kiss. He must've been about seven – making Itachi about 14. He should've known better. And yet…Sasuke hadn't disliked it. He felt special - wanted. Loved. _

_**Because he left you all alone.**_

_It was only a few days after that kiss, when Sasuke realised something was terribly wrong with him. He wanted more of his brother's time; more of his company; more of his touch. The dreams that plagued his nights were wonderful, and yet, so frightening. He would wake in a cold sweat – heart pounding, and with the memory of his brother's naked body draped over his own, still so fresh in his mind. _

_**And the dreams become your fantasies.**_

_It was exactly a week after the first kiss when Sasuke nervously approached his older sibling. Reaching out shyly, he had clutched at Itachi's larger hand, feeling his stomach twist as the skin of their fingers touched. He had watched as Itachi turned his head down a little to look directly at him – deep in the eye. But Sasuke wasn't afraid._

_**And yet the fear of rejection swallows you whole.**_

'_Aniki…' He began, holding the one hand in both of his own to make up for the size difference. 'Will you…' He paused, blinking his dark eyelashes innocently. _

'…_kiss me again?' _

_**The differences were always there. Too forbidden were the words and memories. **_

_He had smiled after the request; as if not realising how forbidden the words he spoke were. Itachi looked down at his younger brother, his dear, precious, younger brother. _

'_No.' He said gently. _

_**And the world crashes down on your shoulders; you can hardly stand with the weight of denial. **_

_Sasuke wished he had never asked. He tried to move away – trying desperately to hold back the tears – but the sudden grip on his wrist prevented him from moving. Itachi's lips morphed slowly in a smile, before he knelt down to his brother's level. _

'_We can do something better than kissing.' He whispered, leaning a little closer to the boy's ear as he spoke. Sasuke noticed the feral look in Itachi's eyes – and it scared him. _

_**And for a moment, you want to believe. Believe and trust and hope. - You can't. **_

_Sasuke tugged sharply on his hand, and ran down the corridor. Itachi stood fully, watching as his brother ran away in a flurry of tears. Why? Why did he have to push the boy? Because he wanted it. _

_**Because you needed it. **_

_And his eyes suddenly twist manically – black pupils dissolving into puddles of crimson. Somewhere, deep in the Uchiha mansion, Sasuke cries out – clutching at his chest as his heart seems to twist. He knows he shouldn't have denied his brother. He asked in the first place. _

_**You run. **_

_And now, he's coming after him. The heavy sword is crashing down on the walls and shredding the wallpaper – the metal tip dragging along in long scarlines. Sasuke watches helplessly as blood drips from the windowsills in the corridor – the panes now splattered with messy blood stains that still drip. Still fresh. And the carpet underneath his feet is wet and spongy – and he knows, oh he knows, that it's soaked in blood._

_**You cry.**_

_And then his brother is upon him. Sword ready, positioned high above the owner's head. And then he knows he's to blame. The sword is swinging down, in a slow arc – and time freezes. His blood freezes. Sasuke freezes. His heart doesn't. No, it's beating too fast – much too fast; racing with fear and painfully losing. The fear reaches his nerve system and shrouds his mind. He can't move. _

_**You know it's too late. **_

_Then he knows that it's all because of him. Itachi's reason for killing the clan. _

_It was all. _

_Because. _

_Of. _

'_**You'.**_

Sasuke's body lurched up from the bed, the covers falling crumpled around his waist. He was breathing hard, with a cold sweat aligning his forehead. _Just a nightmare?_ His fingers clenched tightly into the cool linen sheets – although, they were slightly damp from sweat – and he realised a shaking breath of relief.

Forcing his clenched fists to relax, he gently lay back down onto the damp duvet. It was just a nightmare, he repeated over and over to himself. It wasn't real. It couldn't hurt him.

Ah, but it could. The dreams hurt him more than the reality – he just couldn't admit it.

But…Itachi. _He_ couldn't hurt him. He was out somewhere with the raving gang 'Akatsuki' – and had made it rather clear at there last encounter that Sasuke wasn't his target. No, he wanted Naruto. Because Naruto _meant_ something to him. Naruto was _worth_ something in Itachi's eyes.

Sasuke wasn't.

Angrily, the young boy clenched his eyes tightly; squeezing the few tears onto his pillow. They fell silently down his cheeks – wetting his skin and dampening the pillow beneath his head. He wanted to be worth something to his older brother. He wanted to… wanted to…

'_Nisan!' _

And there it was. A living dream – a memory of long ago; resurfacing in Sasuke's troubled mind.

'_Nisan!' Itachi turned around slightly, looking over his shoulder at the little boy behind him. His heart fluttered in his chest as his younger brother clutched at the hem of his loose-fitting shirt. 'What is it, baby-brother?' _

_Sasuke's smile immediately turned into a pout; his bottom lip sticking out a little. 'Don't call me that Itachi,' he complained – noticing how his aniki rolled his eyes at the 'foolish' behaviour. If anything annoyed Itachi, it was his brother's consistent whining. _

'_And why shouldn't I call you that? It's what you are, afterall.' Itachi smiled as he spoke, feigning innocence as he folded his arms across his chest. Sasuke's pout grew. _

'_Because I'm – I'm not a baby anymore! I'm the oldest in my class,' he said proudly, hoping that his brother would be a little proud too. _

_Itachi smiled, and knelt down to Sasuke's level. He rested gently on his knees, and wrapped his hands –almost soothingly- around the small neck – clasping them together at the back. Sasuke's cheeks flushed a little with embarrassment. _

'_Oh?' Itachi whispered, leaning forward so that his forehead lightly touched the other's. His breath tickled Sasuke's skin; making the soft strands of black hair move against the skin of his brow. _

'…_you think you're a big boy now?' _

_Sasuke didn't reply straight away. The hushed tone of voice that was being whispered gently across his lips was one solely reserved for him. He knew that this was Itachi's special voice. A voice that was designed to be heard only by Sasuke's tiny ears. The thought made him shiver delightfully. _

'_I think there's only one way to know if you're __**really**__ a big-boy, Sasuke.' Itachi whispered, letting his hands fall from the petite neck to the boy's waist. He fingered the waistband of the black trousers; relishing in the scratching sound his nails made on the coarse fabric. _

_Sasuke gulped. His heart had jumped from his chest into his throat – and was making his ears pound with the monotone thumping. He could feel his brother's fingers touching his skin briefly through the material of his trouser leg. He could feel the soft flesh of fingertips dip under his waistband. He could feel it all. _

_Slowly, Itachi's hands moved against the boy's thighs; pushing the material of the thin underwear –along with the trousers—down to Sasuke's ankles. The slight crumpling sound of fabric hitting wooden flooring echoed down the corridor. _

_They were the only ones home._

_With a quick glance upwards, Itachi noticed the young boy smiling, an expression of delight alighting his tiny lips and making his eyes haze with lust. _

_Lust. _

_Itachi found that he liked the word. _

_It was another word for power – an insatiable power that could only be quenched by the touch of another. The burning sensation that filled you to your fingertips – and made your skin itch. Sasuke might have felt lust for Itachi; but the feelings weren't all that mutual. _

_Itachi had never felt lust. He liked to __**inflict**__ it on others._

_Stretching out his large hand to the half-erect member before him, Itachi lightly ran a fingertip from base to tip. The young boy shuddered; feeling the all-too-familiar hand once again touching his flesh. A smooth fingernail scratched at his sensitive skin, running constantly up and down, up and down, up and down – until Sasuke couldn't stand it anymore. _

'_Pl-Please…__**more**__ –' He managed to moan out from his tight throat. Itachi smiled visibly, looking up at those big dark eyes. 'More?' He questioned gently, scooting a little closer to his baby-brother on his knees. 'Are you sure such a __**big**__-boy can handle more…?' _

_Sasuke's legs began to shake, and tears formed briefly in his eyes. He nodded sharply, causing his black bangs to wiggle in front of his vision. He moaned loudly as a hard fist suddenly grabbed at his fully-erect flesh; roughly stroking and pulling without mercy. His stomach gave a violent lurch in excitement; and he had to clutch at the elder's shoulders just to keep himself standing. _

_Itachi's hand had been stroking his member consistently for a couple of minutes; entwining his rough touch with soft kisses around his stomach. The contrast in his actions was maddening. The pressure and pleasure were mounting – and the tiny feeling at the back of Sasuke's mind telling him that the situation was wrong in some forbidden way, was pushed to one side. _

_Hesitantly, Sasuke rocked into his brother's kneeling body – clinging onto his shoulders as he tried to gain some more of the heavenly friction. His hips lurched into Itachi's chest – and the elder simply smiled. Sasuke nearly screamed aloud as he wasn't denied the extra pleasure. Taking advantage of his brother's compassion – he continued to rock against the clothed chest – smearing pearly liquid onto the fabric. _

_Itachi didn't mind the mess. He watched in rapture as the little body before him moved on its own accord. Sasuke could only cling onto him and wail out his pleasure – pleasure which, Itachi noticed, was all of his own doing. He tilted his head forward, resting his lips on the exposed stomach, whilst his hand continued to move with the steady rhythm of the rocking hips. _

'_You're such a -**beautiful**- boy …you're so **special** – you're all mine. All mine, ne, Sasuke? You don't want anyone else. You like …my **touches**, you - love them - Sasuke. __**Sasuke.**__ You love me, …your big-brother, ne?' _

_The fragments of muffled speech reached Sasuke's ears – and made his mind reel. He could pick up on a few of the words; his heavy panting and mewling was becoming louder and more insistent, making the ushered voice all the more difficult to hear. _

_It was so much more arousing that way. _

_Suddenly, Sasuke gave a piercing cry. Something was coming, something was rising up and up deep inside his body – and, with a guttural moan, he came into Itachi's hand. _

_The milky liquid dripped heavily from Itachi's fingers as he let the flaccid flesh go; resisting the urge to hold onto the jerking hips as they continued to ride out the orgasm. He just listened to the boy's crying as he collapsed onto his sticky chest. _

_Tenderly, he placed his non-sticky hand on Sasuke's thigh, and rubbed gently to ease the contracting muscles. The boy was still breathing heavily – and tiny beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. _

'_Hn,' Itachi chuckled under his breath, removing his hands from the pale skin to grab at the clothes at the boy's ankles. He pulled them swiftly up – covering up the burning flesh – and buttoning up the waistband. _

'– _looks like you __**are**__ a big-boy afterall,' he smiled, letting the small compliment wash over his little brother. Sasuke smiled tiredly, his cheeks flushing with the praise. He could feel the warm breath striking his lips as Itachi leant forward slightly – capturing the small lips in a kiss. _

_Sasuke moaned, opening his mouth to the probing tongue – ignoring how their overlapping lips caused trickles of saliva to fall down his chin. His legs continued to shake – still weak and fatigued from the fading orgasm. He had never felt so alive – so __**completed.**_

_The tongue in his mouth continued to move deeper, rubbing against his gums in a frenzy. Their teeth clinked together like fine pieces of porcelain – and a tight hand fisted the back of his hair – pulling and tugging to extract more mewls from his tiny mouth. Itachi had bitten and nipped and sucked at the tongue in the petite mouth – and knew that the pleasure Sasuke was feeling was truly immense. _

_Sasuke felt perfect. He felt needed – wanted. He wanted more – he wanted to touch more, explore more, make his brother feel the sheer pleasure that he had made __**him**__ feel. He wanted so much. He needed it. He - - _

No.

Not anymore.

Not ever again.

No.

NO.

Sasuke angrily buried his face in his damp pillow – trying to ignore the twisted memory from years ago. He didn't need Itachi. He didn't need _anyone_. He lived his own life – governed only by the sole purpose to kill that man. He wanted him dead. He never wanted to touch that cold skin again – or feel soaring pleasure from those fingers. He _never_ wanted to see him again.

He wanted him _dead_.

…didn't he?

* * *

TBC...

_Next Chapter: The Hokage is informed of Itachi's return - and she decides to inform Sasuke too. Emotions run high - and Sasuke realises he can't run from his brother forever._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N::**

I now present the latest chapter; I aplogise for the lack of yaoi-ness - but that will all be made up for in the next chapter. --heh.-- Anyways, please review, and, enjoy.

* * *

_Come, break me down..._

_ ... bury me, bury me._

* * *

Chapter 2

The Hokage was seated somewhat apprehensively in her padded chair – her hands clasped together atop of the polished wooden desk. It was late at night; around 11pm, and she was still working. The reality made her sigh out loud. Heavy moonlight filtered through the blinds across the window; the light that flickered from the various lanterns around the room wasn't really needed. Documents and scrolls surrounded the surface of her work space – all of them important, but none of them as important as the one directly before her. A neat piece of parchment lay beneath her hands, the kanji and hiragana printed clearly in a neat script. Although she had read it countless times, she -inevitably- began to read it again.

_Hokage-sama._

_Two ANBU have reported back to HQ this evening – and have notified us that they have caught a prisoner. We're sure that you'll be surprised – like we were. Itachi Uchiha. Yes, you read that correctly. The man was found south of Konoha and east of the wave Country – and was in a bad state. We suspect he has several broken ribs, aswell as severe malnutrition and dehydration. We haven't done a proper routine check – we are awaiting your approval. Currently, Itachi is being held in the prisoner quarters of Konoha – under strict surveillance from ANBU guards. He has not regained consciousness; the transporting jutsu drained him completely of chakra and weakened his muscles. You of all people will understand the stress that jutsu puts on the body. _

_We will be keeping Itachi in our cell for as long as necessary. We do not think that he will be allowed back out into the open anytime soon – and yet, we do not believe that keeping him confined will be of much use either. In short, we do not know what to do. We're awaiting your comments on the situation._

_- Chief of ANBU HQ. _

Tsunade sighed, and folded the letter in half. She didn't feel like looking ay the inked kanji any longer. So, Itachi Uchiha had been…captured? There was surely no mistaking it – everyone knew the face of Itachi – the killer of the whole Uchiha clan. Well, she corrected herself; he didn't kill _all_ of them. No, it seemed that the heartless murderer had one tiny ounce of sympathy in him – as he had spared his younger brother's life on the night of the massacre.

_It was either sympathy_, she added silently to herself, _or… selfishness_.

That's when the idea came to her.

Maybe the spared-sibling could help shed some light on the situation. Of course, Sasuke would be sure to put up some resistance, but still…

Tsunade quickly grabbed a pen from her cluttered desk, and began writing down in neatly-formed katakana her note to the youngest Uchiha.

Afterall, she thought, it was worth a try.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't fall asleep. Not after such a nightmare. His skin was still damp with sweat, and his hair stuck to his forehead. It was like he had a raging fever – with a running temperature and shaking limbs. 

It's funny what dreams could do to you. They could seem so real – so terrifyingly real, and be nothing more than the brain's over-working imagination.

That's right, just imagination.

Sasuke had gotten changed into a cool t-shirt and trousers – trying to ignore how his legs trembled under his weight as he moved cautiously to his wardrobe.

_Just imagination._

He shouldn't need to keep reminding himself. The dream didn't mean anything. Just because he had remembered a memory from long ago – it didn't mean he wanted to relive it.

_No…I…I don't want to see him ever again. He… he betrayed me – and for – for power. He didn't care about me. All those kisses and touches – they weren't __**real**__. It was all part of Itachi's plan – his scheme. He wanted power – he left me behind. He never wanted me. _

A sudden knocking at his front door startled Sasuke from his thoughts. Who could be wanting him at 11 at night? Nervously, he forced his legs to move towards his bedroom door; that's it, hands on the door handle, now, pull open.

The bedroom door creaked open – and Sasuke slowly entered the dark corridor of his apartment. There were no stairs; he was on the very ground floor. The floor above him was empty – nobody had ever lived there in years. Sasuke didn't mind the feeling of isolation though. He was used to it.

The corridor was long and dark – and for a moment, he felt a trickle of fear creep up his spine. Why did he feel so…_uncomfortable_ in his own home? Shaking his head, he continued to approach the front door; its white wooden panels now coming into sight.

Reaching out a hand, Sasuke grabbed at the door handle and twisted it. It creaked open to a standstill.

'Ah – Sasuke Uchiha?'

An ANBU ninja – one with his mask covering his face, was standing behind the door, his gloved-hand retreating from the metal knocker as he spoke. Sasuke quickly surveyed the man – he was so clad in armour, it was a wonder that he could even walk.

'Yeah, that's me.'

'I have something for you…' The ninja paused, reaching his hand into a breast pocket on top of his armour plated chest. Sasuke watched, curious, as the man withdrew a small scroll – bound with black cord. He offered it to Sasuke.

'It's a letter from the Hokage – she's only just written it.' He said from behind the painted mask. Sasuke hesitantly took the small scroll – feeling the rough parchment in his fingertips. Both of them stood in silence for a while, and a tense atmosphere began to arise.

'You'd best read it,' the ANBU said gently, as he took a step back from the door. ' – I heard it was pretty important.'

Sasuke looked at him intently, and could've sworn that he had spotted a curious glint to the painted eyes on the mask, before the ninja leapt away into the darkness. He dismissed the thought; blaming his racing heart and the lingering dream. However, one thing that Sasuke couldn't blame himself for, was the lonely feeling that the ninja had left in his absence. It was almost…suffocating.

_Is the isolation starting to get to me? No – It – It can't be… there's no way it can. I don't mind being lonely. I don't need anyone. I'm FINE. _

Slamming the front door shut, Sasuke furiously ripped open the cord binding the scroll together. It fell lazily between his fingers and dropped to the ground, lying there like a dead snake on the wooden flooring.

Brushing aside any trepidation, he flicked open the folded piece of paper, and began to read.

_**Sasuke Uchiha.**_

_**You are most-likely unaware of the events that have taken place in Konoha during the last few hours. Indeed, only myself and the ANBU squad know of it. The fact is, Sasuke –**_

_**Your brother has returned.**_

Sasuke's eyes froze on the four inked letters. His mind registered their meaning: 'brother' – 'returned'. But, he couldn't comprehend them. Itachi…Itachi was – back in Konoha?!

Furiously, his hands clutched at the paper as he continued to read.

_**You are probably as shocked as I am. Infact, at first I was doubtful – surely the ANBU must've made some mistake – but, nothing escapes their genius judgement. It is, undoubtedly, true. Your brother is here – merely a few miles from your apartment, in the prisoner's quarters of Konoha. He is under immense surveillance – but has yet to awaken from his lack of consciousness. He was – and I'm sure that this will surprise you – captured by two members of our ANBU team, Hayate and Sheira. They have reported directly to me their account of the encounter – and it seems that your brother was in no way able to fight. He is severely wounded physically – and will be unable to move for a long time yet. We are unsure of his mental state.**_

_**Sasuke, no doubt this news will come to you as a shock – you may not want to believe us, but you must. I am not only using this letter as means of informing you – but as a means of directing you. Tomorrow morning, you will come to the prisoner's complex. You will wait for me outside, and together, we will see Itachi. He will be awake by then, and able to speak – if he chooses to. Any defying of this plan will not end happily; you must know that having the Itachi Uchiha here in Konoha has put me on edge – not only for my own safety, but for the whole village's. We will discuss this further in the morning, please try and rest up. Some sleep will do you good.**_

_**- Tsunade-sama.**_

For a moment, Sasuke just let his frantically burning eyes rest; focusing on the ground below him instead of the glaring white parchment and the black letters. He slowly took a deep breath in, and released it; trying to stop the tremors in his chest as he did so.

He took a moment to painfully deactivate his sharingan. His eyeballs stung – and made him wince; nearly making him cry out loud. He hadn't realised that he had used his blood-red eyes to read the letter; partly from anger, and partly from disbelief. The crimson irises faded to white, and his rapidly spinning pupils merged sickeningly back into two large orbs. It hurt. A lot.

He repeated the breathing process again.

Itachi was…back. He had been captured. But – no… it couldn't – Itachi would never have let himself be caught so easily. He was powerful – he was –

_The best._

No – he wasn't! He betrayed everyone – he doesn't deserve to live! The Hokage shouldn't bother saving his pitiful life. He should just _die_.

Sasuke head pounded – and he could feel the lack of sleep begin to creep up his neck like a cold hand. Maybe the Hokage was right. Maybe just get some nice rest; let your mind calm down. Tch.

Sasuke _knew_ he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Not after his dream, and definitely not after hearing such news. It was… It was simply unbelievable.

_Still_, Sasuke thought, as he walked slowly back down the corridor; dropping the letter onto the floor as he went – not caring to look back as it fell.

_We'll see what happens tomorrow._

He shut his bedroom door quietly, and collapsed onto his bed – thoughts and memories never failing to race through his mind. His eyes glowed slightly with crimson, as the sharingan filtered angrily back into his irises. The red glow illuminated the darkness of the room with more intensity than the moonlight, which quickly vanished under the thick veiling of clouds outside the room.

* * *

Somewhere deep in Konoha, a man stirred slightly in his sleep. He wasn't sure where he was – and, when he blinked his blurry eyes, he realised that he could only see darkness. 

Ah.

The man's eyes closed, and slowly re-opened; emitting a faint crimson glow.

There we go. He could see everything now.

Not that there was much to see. Four walls, a thick set iron door – the only entrance, the only exit, he reasoned. No windows. Hm. That would explain the lack of light…

He turned his head around slightly - _ouch, his neck hurt_…- and surveyed the area to his side. He was propped up against a corner – his back fitting awkwardly, and yet, somewhat comfortably into the stone where the two walls met. The area was about 25squared metres – each wall about 5m long. It was a space roughly the shape of a square – and it was then that he realised where he was. He had been here with his father, a long, long time ago.

He was in a cell. A prison cell. A prison cell which sat in the middle of Konoha's Criminal Confinement Complex – part of the police station which his father had once owned. Infact, the whole _clan_ had owned it - founded it, _created_ it.

It seemed slightly amusing to Itachi that he was currently sitting in one of the damp cells which his family used to throw prisoners into. It was like _he_ was a prisoner.

Oh, but he was.

He almost laughed again. The irony was – simply put – laughable. He turned his head back to the front – feeling a strung tendon snap in the side of his face like elastic. _Ouch_. He placed his hand on his jaw and rubbed; trying to ease the pain a little. Surprisingly, it didn't really work. His whole body ached – especially his chest. There was a very high chance that he had broken some ribs, and maybe bruised some other bones too. It had been a long, tiring, and painful journey from the land of stone – and anybody else trying to escape from it under his circumstances probably would have ended up dead.

He leant back, and rested his head in the small corner – not bothering to hide the wince as fresh pain electrified his spine; making his face turn into a grimace. He deactivated his sharingan – one thing which he found caused him no pain at all. For some odd reason, there was little comfort to find in it.

Maybe he just liked things to be a challenge. Having no pain was no fun. Pain kept things interesting. Pain made things seem worthwhile.

He paused in his line of thoughts to re-think them. Maybe he really _was_ going crazy – just like _they_ had said. He sighed, and flexed his fingers – hearing the joints crackle and snap like popping candy. The Hokage would probably be informed, he thought to himself, as he allowed his body to recline gently against the wall; feeling the stone cold on his scalp. Then they'd probably tell the Jounin – and any other important people.

Oh, and Sasuke.

Most definitely Sasuke.

How could they _not_ tell him? It concerned _him_ more so than it did the Hokage… Yes. Sasuke would definitely be told of his brother's appearance – maybe he had been told already.

_In any case…_

Itachi smiled, closing his eyes as he waited for the morning to come – along with the people it would bring to him.

…_I'm back. _

* * *

TBC... 

_Next chapter: Sasuke proceeds to meet Tsunade at the prison cell. When Sasuke is told he must face Itachi alone; the inevitable happens - and memories start to arise in both brother's minds. _

Review! x


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N::**

Thank you very much for all the reviews so far – I'm glad that people are enjoying the story! I hope that you, as a reader, can really feel a kind of empathy with all the characters – and I hope that you can get a good sense of the atmosphere. Quite a few people have commented on the good imagery in the story – and I'm so glad that you've picked up on that! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Check out the A/N at the end.

* * *

_When darkness comes, you know I'm never far…_

_…hear the whispers in the dark._

* * *

Chapter 3

The sun had risen. The birds were outside the window panes, singing their appraisal to the morning. The dusty streets were bathed in orange light, and the side walls of apartments were aligned with a husky morning glow. Treetops and dry autumn leaves glowed like fire – and all due to the faint line of sun; nothing more than a crescent shape on the scorched horizon. The warm air was thick like syrup – and the birdsong just as sweet.

Sasuke ignored all of it.

He didn't listen to the birds. He didn't take notice of the beautiful colours; which all seemed so dull and lifeless to him. His feet shuffled onwards in the thin black sandals – making a _hush-slap hush-slap_ sound on the dirt path. His spinning mind was on one thing only.

_In a matter of minutes, I'll reach the criminal confinement centre. I'll meet the Hokage – and then… I'll – I'll meet __**him**__. I can do this. I can do this – _

_I __**can't **__do this. I'm – I'm scared. What good would it do for me to meet him? None. Nothing good could ever come of it! _

He angrily continued to think on the situation, and why the Hokage had deemed it necessary for him to visit the prisoner – when the path came to an abrupt end.

His feet stopped, and he looked up at the building before him. The minutes had passed very quickly it would seem, he thought to himself, somewhat bitterly. A large sign stood –almost proudly- on a long high-railed fence.

'KCCC. Konoha's Criminal Confinement Complex'

Beside the large lettered sign was a small door; appearingly encased within the wood. A long twisted piece of barbed wire ran across the ground to either side of it – running parallel to the bottom of the fence. Sasuke looked around nervously. The fence ran straight to both sides – marking the boundary between the dozing criminals, and the village. Just above the top of the fence, Sasuke could see the metal roof of a large building. The Complex itself.

Stepping warily over the barbed wire, he approached the metal door. He knocked once, twice, three times – and it opened.

An ANBU guard – kunai in hand – took one glance at Sasuke from behind his painted mask, and almost immediately stepped aside. For a brief moment, Sasuke had the fleeting idea that this is what being royalty must feel like; before the ANBU moved, allowing the boy through.

He stepped into the brightly lit corridor, and listened to the loud click of the door shutting behind him.

_No turning back now, _he thought.

'The Hokage has been waiting for you,' the guard said, and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. It felt cold underneath the black glove; like the boy was nothing more than a walking corpse. The ninja suppressed a shudder.

_They're too alike. _

'Come, this way –' He steered the boy in front of him down the long white corridor, passing many doors and cabinets as they went. At one point, just as they were turning a sharp corner, they passed a bookshelf. Sasuke quickly scanned the spines of some of the books:

[Psychology – The way a Criminal's mind works.

[Interrogation – Finding the true answer.

[Insanity – At their fingertips.

Sasuke almost laughed. Not a single book could ever help these people to figure out how Itachi's mind worked. It was deep and dark and totally his own. No books could ever unlock it.

A strange thought suddenly started to worm its way into Sasuke's head. Itachi – lying on an autopsy table, blood soaked sheets covering his legs and stomach. His forehead; one long line running down from scalp to nose. The skin peeling back – exposing the white bone of his skull. And – just below that, his brain. The thing which developed and processed all of the murderous ideas and cunning plans – just a soft mass of nerves and grey muscle. All he would have to do was smash the white bone in. Bash and smash like porcelain – like china plates. A smile would alight the dying man's lips as his head caved in – but Sasuke's smile would be wider.

_Insanityinsanityinsaityinsaity – blood-bloodandboneanddeath.__**death.**_

Sasuke quickly shook his head; resisting the urge to be sick. How could he have thought of such a vivid and grotesque idea? It was so graphic – and… and just so –

Insane.

'Are you okay?' The Anbu asked from behind him; hand still on his shoulder, and feeling him tense slightly. Sasuke released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding.

'Yeah, I'm fine.' He said quietly, knowing very well that the ninja above him wasn't convinced.

'Okay then, here's the room. The Hokage will be inside – go straight through.'

Sasuke stared blankly at the white door. It didn't seem like the kind of door that Itachi could be being held prisoner behind… _Oh come on,_ he thought to himself angrily. _What were you expecting? A heavy iron gateway; barricaded at all sides?_

Well, maybe he was. He reached out a hand and turned the handle; feeling the smooth metal beneath his fingers. The door swung open – and Sasuke stepped inside.

* * *

The ANBU guard watched as the boy entered the brightly-lit room where the Hokage would be ready to escort him to his sibling. The strange feeling of dejavu made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle slightly. 

Looking at Sasuke was like looking at a smaller version of Itachi, whom he had taken to his cell yesterday night.

They had so many similarities; the death-like stance, the emotionless attitude, the coldness towards others; and, the ninja noticed with a slight feeling of dread – the same hollow eyes.

_The boys are the same_, he thought, as he watched the door close behind the young boy.

_No matter how hard they try to deny it. _

* * *

'Ah, Sasuke,' Tsunade stood from a small chair, and greeted Sasuke with a brief – and, slightly uncomfortable, hug. Almost as if she were a family member – not the Hokage, the boy found himself thinking briefly. The hug ended as soon as it began, and Tsunade's royal-attitude quickly resurfaced. 

'As you can see,' she said, gesturing with a ring-studded hand to the small room around them, '- we will be the only ones to see – and speak to – Itachi.' Sasuke nodded.

'Through this door here…' she took three large strides to the end of the room, where yet another door was conveniently situated. ' – we will enter Itachi's cell, and will speak to him there.'

_Huh, talk about breaking an entry – we're going to be talking to him in his bedroom. _

Sasuke could feel a large bubble of laughter welling up in his gut – but it never passed his lips. The sudden silence from Tsunade stopped all feelings of mirth and amusement. Her yellow eyes appeared dull and lifeless – overcome with an emotion he knew very well.

Pity.

'Sasuke,' she began, the word rolling from her tongue slowly; as if she was thinking hard on how to correctly form the words. '- To begin with, I think it's best if you see Itachi on your own.'

Sasuke's heart flipped in his chest and then lurched into his tight throat.

' – I'll be right here if… anything goes wrong – but I have been assured that it won't. He will be shackled for the visit, and, in his current state, he would find it very painful to even attempt an attack…'

_It's not the attack I'm worried about_, Sasuke thought.

'… When I was called over to check his wounds, I found three broken ribs – one almost entirely smashed – but I managed to heal them all. This doesn't in any way mean that he is now cured – the medicine will take a long time to take effect. Bone healing takes a while.'

Sasuke's thought of Itachi on an autopsy table resurfaced in his head – smashed pieces of white porcelain like broken dishware poking through dead flesh – _bloodbloodbloodandboneandpainand_ –

'…In any case,' Tsunade gave a small sigh, unknowingly halting the idea in the boy's head. She pushed gently on Sasuke's shoulder; just like the anbu guard before her. Why did everyone think that Sasuke needed to be shown the right direction?

_Maybe they're just looking out for me. Maybe they're worried. _

'…I think it best for you to face him on your own to begin with. There's a far greater chance of him telling _you _things, than me.'

A nod shook Sasuke's hair once, as the Hokage gave him another slight push towards the door. Her smooth hand reached for the door latch, and with a solitary click, it opened. The door swung open a little, and, with a final smile, Tsunade closed the door.

* * *

Sasuke was emerged in darkness. There was no window in the damp cell, nor was there any source of heat. He shivered – not only from the chilliness of the air, but from fear. His brother was here. He could sense the weak chakra – hear the shuffling sounds of fabric, and smell him. 

Sasuke could never forget Itachi's unique scent. Pine needles, earth and undergrowth. Although, he noticed dully, there was something else this time. Disinfectant, cleanliness – and underlying it all, the subtle smell of blood.

The soft sound of metal chains sliding together made Sasuke jump. Shackles. The noise had come from his right – from the darkest corner of the room. He didn't think that it was a coincidence. Itachi had lived in darkness; knew it like a child would his mother. It was something he had thirsted for – and, Sasuke was beginning to feel comfort in it too.

_But that doesn't mean I'm like him. I'm different – there's nothing similar about us._

He knew his thoughts were lying.

His feet automatically took a step forward. His breathing became erratic. One more step. _The Clink of the metal chains_. One more. _Clink._ One more. _Clink_.

The red eyes in the corner if the room opened at the sound of the intruder; and instantly recognized the small, shaking form. The memory of the boy had been engraved permanently into his vision with the help of the scarlet irises.

'Baby-brother.'

The tone of voice was dangerously soft; merely more than a whisper – but it strung a sickening chord in Sasuke's heart. The voice he hadn't heard in years. The voice of his aniki.

'Itachi.'

There was a brief moment of silence, broken only by Sasuke's heavy breathing, and the sound of something slimy - dripping from the ceiling onto the stone floor with a cold splash. They didn't need anymore greetings – and they didn't want any.

Sasuke's fists clenched tightly by his sides. He was almost angry at Itachi. Angry that the powerful brother he had looked up to - almost to the point of _worship_ - was now sitting in a damp cell; a prisoner.

Itachi decided to break the silence: 'You're here to interrogate me?'

Sasuke felt the smile behind the words cut the air like a knife. He didn't feel at all surprised that his brother knew of his reason for visiting him… Itachi was a genius afterall.

'I'm here to find out why you came back,' he replied, taking a steady breath after he had spoken. His eyes had already adjusted slightly to the darkness of the cell – and, realising he was only a few paces away, he was able to see Itachi's form.

He was seated on the ground – his customary cloak lying dishevelled in the corner. He was wearing only his netted top with a thin black fabric layer above, and black trousers. (Sasuke noticed the large expanse of white cloth on the man's stomach – just visible through the black top. Bandages for the ribs, he reasoned.) His feet were bare – and the exposed skin of both them and his arms glowed with an eerie whiteness. Heavy metal rings binded his ankles together; securing him to the floor. The long black hair was tied behind his back in a ponytail – but some strands rebelled by hanging limply over his forehead.

He looked exactly the same as Sasuke could remember.

'Why I came back?' Itachi repeated slowly, raising an eyebrow over a crimson eye at the question. Rather angrily, Sasuke took another step forward. 'Yes.'

The elder gave a small sigh – uncanningly like a chuckle – and leaned back against the wall. Almost in casual manner. 'I don't feel like telling you just yet – you're not a _big enough boy _to handle it.'

Fury raced through Sasuke's veins and made his skin itch. How dare he bring up that incident – and at a time like this! He has no idea how wrong all those moment s were – _he has no idea what they've done to me!! _

Itachi smiled, watching the pent-up rage quickly build within the boy's eyes. He knew just what buttons to press, and how his younger brother ticked. He wasn't surprised when Sasuke ran towards him; fist clenched – and swinging towards his face in the form of a punch. _That's unfair Sasuke, _he thought to himself, as he grabbed at the ascending wrist and held it still, inches away from its target. _– and especially when I'm chained to the ground. Not a very fair game, ne? _

Sasuke only gave a very quiet mewl of pain as his wrist was roughly twisted to one side – sending him sprawling into his brother's lap. Frantically, he tried to squirm away. The vice like grip on his wrist told him otherwise.

'Now now Sasuke,' Itachi murmured, feeling strands of the boy's raven hair stick to his lips as his mouth whispered into the soft neck.

'We have to play fair, right?' He squeezed a little tighter on the delicate bone; feeling the bone and muscle quake beneath his fingers. A small shriek escaped Sasuke's lips – and he hoped that maybe Tsunade had heard him, and would come bursting through the door to rescue him. She didn't.

Itachi slowly planned his next move. Sasuke was currently leaning against his chest – one small hand placed on the elder's collarbone, whilst the other was trapped between their bodies; still being held tightly in Itachi's grip. Itachi's face was buried under the veil of black hair – and his lips rested lightly on the shell of the younger's ear.

He placed a soft kiss on the ear, already so close to his mouth.

Sasuke's heart thudded painfully in his chest at the sudden display of affection. It was just like… just like when they were younger…and it had – had _seemed_ right… _No! It __**wasn't**__ right! It was wrong – just…just like…like it is…now………_

Trying to stop the memories from filtering back into his head as his brother's lips continued to kiss his ear gently, Sasuke did the only thing he could do.

He shouted.

Not very loud, but loud enough to make Itachi flinch. His lips quickly withdrew from beneath the boy's bangs, and he looked curiously at the black eyes before him.

Ah. It was all part of a clever plan to get the Hokage to come and save him… A small flicker of worry spread its way through Itachi's body. If the Hokage came in – he would probably never see Sasuke again. He had to foil the oh-so-clever plan his little brother had come up with.

'Sasuke, ssh,' he whispered, gripping the wrist impossibly tighter as the scream faltered slightly. Sasuke's throat felt scorched with the effort of shouting. Why couldn't Tsunade hear him?! A loud cry erupted from his mouth. 'Get off me Itachi! I don't – don't want to see you anymore!!'

Itachi tried again. 'Sasuke – please, be quiet –'

'No! I won't listen to you!! Get off me – I -'

'Sasuke –'

'– I don't -!'

'- Sas-'

' – **I don't want to remember!!**'

That's when Itachi had grabbed his brother's chin in his free hand, and pulled his lips against his own. The silence was almost deafening after such a series of shouts and cries – but for Itachi, it was the end of Sasuke's plan.

He could feel the surprise and shock race through the boy's slight body, making the muscles tense. A small involuntary hiccup had allowed the small lips to part slightly – an action which Itachi chose to take advantage of. Slowly, he ran his tongue across the bottom lip – pressing a little to prise the mouth open further. His tongue slipped past the seam of Sasuke's lips, and lightly tickled his gums. The tongue found hot wet flesh, and smooth hard bone – before finding the boy's own tongue.

Sasuke breathed heavily through his nose, feeling it bump into the skin just below Itachi's left eye as their tongues entangled. He didn't know what he was doing. He was… was _allowing_ his brother to kiss him…deeply. He wanted to scream again - but all that escaped his throat was a light moan. At the hearing of the sound, Itachi reached the hand at the boy's chin up the side of the smooth face. His fingertips brushed against the black hair, and he grabbed at it – tugging gently like he had done all those years before in the corridor of their house.

Sasuke couldn't prevent the memories from racing back into his head. Just the raw sense of _feeling_ - drove Sasuke to the very limit. He kissed back with equal passion – lost completely in the way that lust seemed to take over his body. His mind was clouded; not realising how the elder's hand left his hair, and laced his fingers with his own. Their hands tightened together, Itachi's long fingers stroking the back of Sasuke's hand as the kiss slowed to a stop.

The wet sound of their lips separating seemed somehow magnified – and more intense. Tiny white dots sparkled in Sasuke's vision as he kneeled between his brother's legs; supporting himself by leaning slightly on the strong chest – (although it was physically damaged, Itachi gave no signs of pain as he was leant against, Sasuke noticed.) – with one fist clenched into the black top. His other fist hung by his side – still entwined in a soft grip.

He looked down at it. Their fingers were laced intricately together; like the hands of…

…_of lovers. _

Oh god. What had he done? Frightened by the sudden realisation; Sasuke pulled his hand away from his brother's.

'No…No – we can't -'

Words failed to form in his mouth; his lips were numb from the kiss. His heart gave a sickening lurch.

Itachi knew that the boy was confused. The kiss was probably taking things too far, and too soon… but he couldn't help it. Yes, it may have been a good way to muffle the cries and screams – but…part of it was pure desire. It had been so many years since Itachi had seen his brother – let alone _touched_ him. He reached out a hand to the boy's cheek, and gently touched the skin with his fingertips. It was cold; and damp with fallen tears. He could see the boy's limp trembling with the effort of containing his emotions – and Itachi nearly smiled as a row of tiny white teeth sucked the lip into the mouth; biting down on it – hard. The boy was definately confused.

Sasuke desperately fought against leaning into the hand on his cheek. He wanted to touch and be touched by those smooth fingertips; moving slowly up and down; so gentle… so... comforting – He was forced to angrily bite his lip to try and diminish the stirring memories.

_NONE OF IT WAS REAL. HE WAS FAKE. HE PRETENED. HE __**LIED**__. LIARLIARLIARLIARLIAR –_

Itachi slowly moved his thumb to the dribble of blood trickling from the bitten lip; rolling down the boy's chin. The warm liquid collected on the base of his thumb, and stayed there; a nice red puddle staining his white skin. It spilled down the side of his hands as his hand was angrily slapped away; the flesh stinging a little as his baby-brother struck out at him.

Sasuke furiously blinked away the tears in his eyes. He wouldn't cry – not for _him_. He had to get away – get away from the man that taunted and teased him; the man that was slowly poisoning his mind.

'We can't – can't do this – it's… it's _wrong_…' Sasuke whispered breathlessly; his eyes glazing over with confusion.

Itachi didn't reply. He was silent as Sasuke stumbled to his feet. He was silent as the boy turned and ran to the door at the end of the room. He remained silent as the door was opened by Sasuke's shaking hands, and watched as he ran, blindly, out of the room.

Only when the door had slammed shut on him; sending him back into the looming darkness, did he laugh. Only a gentle, quiet laugh, but a laugh none-the-less. He smiled, and relaxed against the same stone wall as his laughter dimmed to a faint chuckle.

He lifted his thumb, stained with the blood of his younger brother, and brought it to his lips. Slowly, he popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes as the metallic taste sent his mind reeling.

'We _can, _baby-brother,' he whispered to the darkness, after giving his thumb a final lick and letting his hand fall back to his lap.

'We _can_.'

* * *

TBC… 

_Next Chapter: Sasuke contemplates on his actions. Who really kissed who? Are the feelings really mutual? Was it all just another lie? Tsunade explains to Sasuke why she couldn't hear him shout from within the cell – and the reason is striking. _

Please review! Oh – and there may be a slight wait for the next chapter – I'm going to be on holiday for a few days, and will be working on a Halloween one-shot for when I get back. x


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**A/N::**

I'm so sorry for the late update! I've been rushed off my feet lately – and have had quite a few re-lapses in my health. Still, I've managed to get this chapter up and done; it's not too great, but bare with me. It's going to get good in the following few chapters. Thank you for all the reviews – they're really great to receive!

* * *

_Don't close your eyes - don't fade away…_

…_don't fade away._

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Sasuke ran. And ran and ran and ran – not looking back as ANBU ninja in their armour clad vests tried to question him as he left the Complex.

The fresh air never felt so good. Once outside and running along the faded path – he felt an immense relief in his chest; as though someone had lifted a heavy stone from crushing his heart. It was a feeling he knew that he would only ever get around his brother – a feeling which he so despised, and yet, welcomed for its familiarity.

Having done enough of the running; Sasuke sprung up high into a nearby tree – and alternated between jumping from branch to branch, and swinging with his hands. The rough bark scratched at his palms a little; but the pain was no big deal. Not enough of a deal to stop him from racing back to his ground-floor apartment.

Upon arriving, he swung open the front door – and slammed it shut behind him. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief; mingling with the heavy thud thud thudding of his heart. His lungs burned as he leant against his closed door; and his mind reeled.

_How could that have happened? _He asked himself; burying his head in his scratched up hands. _How – after all this time, trying to forget it all – did it come to this? My lips… _He tentatively brushed his forefinger across the swollen lip. _…they still hurt. Strange, how something that feels so nice at the time – and hurt so much afterwards. _

He sighed once more, but not from relief. From _frustration_. He had gone to see Itachi to try and get some answers from him; why was he here? Why was he so beaten up?

But, no. Instead of getting any answers – he had gotten a kiss. A deep, tender kiss. A kiss which had felt so… pleasant. He couldn't deny it, couldn't deny the fact that he had gotten a thrill from their lips meeting.

_But I can't accept this! __**I can't!**_

He didn't know how to. Itachi was always the perfect role model – the one to look up to, the one who was perfect in everyway… at least, on the surface. Sasuke sunk to the ground, resting up against his door. He had always believed Itachi to be perfect… but on once occasion… that wasn't the case.

* * *

_It was late. And Itachi __**still**__ wasn't back from his mission. Despite the soft words from his mother telling him to hurry up to bed, and he'll see Itachi in the morning – Sasuke politely refused. He didn't know why his aniki was so late home – true, he had been on a mission – but most of the time, Itachi finished them __**early**__. The fear that something had maybe happened to him – something fatal perhaps – was worrying Sasuke terribly. _

_He shifted on the plushy sofa, watching as his mother and father ascended the stairs to their bedroom. Sasuke really wanted to go to sleep too; cuddling up to his thick duvet and snugly pillows… But no. His worry for his sibling prevented him from following his parents up the stairs – and he stayed seated. _

_Time passed slowly for Sasuke, sitting alone in the living room of his house. His home was fairly large in size – with many rooms and corridors and places where he could easily hide in a game of hide and go seek – but to Sasuke, sitting on the big sofa by himself…the house had never felt so big, so empty. _

_That was when the front door had swung open; and when Itachi had stumbled into the living room. _

_For a brief moment, as Sasuke turned his head to the man entering the living room so suddenly; he had seen a mangled figure – with decapitated limbs and wounds and gashes and blood. Then, he blinked – and realised it was only his brother standing there. _

_The dim light in the living room had mingled with his sleepy mind. _

'_Ni-san, you're back!' He exclaimed softly, keeping his voice low so as to not awaken his parents above. Itachi didn't reply, and Sasuke watched as he pulled the heavy katana –still encased in its bronze sheath- from his armour-clad back. Itachi slowly – as if concentrating very hard on the task – set his weapon onto its stand by the door. _

_It missed its target and landed with a heavy thud onto the wooden flooring. _

_Sasuke watched the strange behaviour of his brother, as he heard Itachi sigh. He looked as if he was about to bend to pick it up – but then paused in mid-bow, and straightened again; as if realising that maybe bending down wasn't such a good idea. He took a step forward towards the living room, towards Sasuke – who curiously watched. _

'_What are you looking at?' Itachi asked angrily, before he sat down heavily onto the single armchair opposite the couch where Sasuke was seated. He brought a hand to his temples and rubbed gently – a futile attempt to try and dimish the headache that was slowly but surely increasing. _

'_Um,' Sasuke began timidly, '- where have you been, Ni-san?' _

_There was a slight pause in his brother's answer._

'_Mission,' he said bluntly. '- and out for a drink with some of my squad.'_

_That single sentence explained everything. Itachi was drunk. He picked at the leather armrest of the chair with his dark nail; the scratching sound was soft, but seemed somehow louder in the expanse of the room. _

'_Ni-san…' Sasuke's voice broke Itachi out of his drunken trance, and his clouded eyes snapped up to look into his little brother's. _

'…_was drinking really such a good idea?' Itachi frowned. '- what if Tousan finds out – and he…what if he—'_

'_What would he do Sasuke?!' Itachi suddenly shouted, slamming his fists into the leather. Sasuke jumped; startled at his brother's anger. _

'_What the __**fuck**__ could he do to me?! Tell me, __**baby-brother…**__' He put a strong emphasis on the title – almost hissing the name out through gritted teeth. '- what's wrong with me enjoying a couple of hours of my miserable life!? Tell me that – Sasuke!'_

_The silence following the outburst was agonizing. The words themselves stung like millions on wasps; piercing in every sense of the word. Sasuke chewed on his bottom lip as he watched his brother sink back into his chair; as if he were exhausted. He was probably was, Sasuke thought to himself. _

_Itachi continued to pick at the leather with his nail. He had the repulsive urge to completely destroy something – anything. Even if it was the chair he was resting in. A small chuckle escaped his lips, as he thought on the irony. The prodigy – Itachi Uchiha, a ruthless killer – and…destroyer of armchairs. Oh how the other ANBU would laugh –how _everyone_ would laugh! That would certainly put them all in their fucking places – he wouldn't need the pressure of being anbu captain, and leading a squad of much older men. God, that was an awkward moment; when the squad had realised that a 14 year old was going to lead them. For a moment they had all remained silent – and then a few had the guts to actually start _whispering_ behind his back… ignorant bastards… The first mission had shut them all up. Oh yes – Itachi remembered the day very well indeed. Their jaws practically fell to the floor when he had slain all the enemies within a matter of minutes – escaping from the brawl completely unscathed – and devoid of any emotion; wiping the thick blood that ran like treacle from his katana. That had shut them all the fuck up. _

_For a moment, Itachi continued to recall random events from his anbu squad missions. It was so strange, he thought amidst the memories – how the men who at first were so mocking of him, then so fearful of him – and then, so fearful, that they felt the urge to try and befriend him with drinks. Ha – lousy stuck up obnoxious basta-_

_Sasuke shifted on the sofa opposite him; making his attention snap back to his younger brother. He was glancing almost fitfully at the living room door – and then occasionally back to his big brother. _

_Itachi's naturally strategic mind quickly uncovered the plan that was going through the younger's head. He was going to run to the stairs – and then escape to the confinement of his bedroom; shutting Itachi out. _

_Hn. Itachi didn't like his brother's plan at all. The big dark eyes shone with a mixture of worry – and… ah. Fear. Sasuke shouldn't be like __**them**__ – they were all afraid of him. Sasuke wasn't meant to be afraid – he was meant to be __**different**_

_He sighed gently, and, just as Sasuke was about to rise from the sofa – he reached out a slender finger, and beckoned the younger to him. Not surprisingly, Sasuke didn't move. He was perched tentatively on the very edge of the plush cushions – but upon seeing Itachi's gesture, he slowly rose to his bare feet._

'_Come on Sasuke, get your ass over here,' Itachi said softly, curling his finer again to beckon his brother forward. Something lurid tinted the surface of his words – but Sasuke paid it no heed. Not wanting to anger him (for Sasuke knew that when people were drunk their tempers shortened, and even something as simple as defiance could alight fury within them) – he moved forward; around the coffee table separating their chairs, before finally stopping before his brother; reclining casually back in the armchair. _

_Itachi smiled and patted his legs with one hand, watching as Sasuke spread eagled his legs, and straddled his lap without question. That pleased Itachi a little, but still failed to lessen the urge he had to tear something apart. _

_It was only a couple of drinks, he reminded himself, and he had __**enjoyed**__ them. No, he hadn't gone there with the __**intention **__of getting drunk – but he had felt such a thrill at breaking down his prodigy-persona – that actually becoming drunk had been secondary. _

_Sasuke shifted awkwardly on top of his brother's lap – trying not to rub up against the cold armour on Itachi's chest. His small hands fell to return back to his own lap – but they were prevented; Itachi's strong hand held his wrists tightly together. The free hand snaked around to his back; holding him steady. _

_Sasuke's heart thudded hard in his chest. What was Itachi doing? Maybe he himself didn't even know. The strong hand on his back stroked soothingly up and down, up and down – calming the flurry of nerves in his small body. Itachi took this a sign to progress, and he slid his hand down the spine, feeling the slight bumps of bone through the thin t-shirt, before he suddenly groped at the boy's backside. Sasuke gave a small mewl of surprise – and jerked forward a little on reaction. _

'_Such a nice ass,' Itachi muttered, smiling, still holding the boy's wrists in one hand. He leant forward slightly, and placed a soft kiss on Sasuke's forehead; a brotherly action, but with something lurid lying just beneath the surface. Sasuke bit his lip in frustration – the feeling of being held tightly against his brother's cold armour-plated body made him want to scream out in claustrophobia – but he couldn't. He didn't know why – but he just __**couldn't.**_

'_Ni-Nisan…what are you --?' he stuttered, breathlessly; trying to wriggle in his brother's lap and free his arms from the vice like grip around his hands. He wasn't very successful – each movement resulted in him pressing gently against the elder's groin – and it wasn't long before he was pulled into a deep kiss. _

_Itachi didn't want to let those soft, pliant lips go. The way they molded to his – the way they tasted, just the way that they __**felt**__ against his own… it was maddening. Clutching his hands tighter into the boy's rear, he earned himself a few nice (almost surprised) moans and mewls – obviously of pleasure, he assured himself. The kisses continued for a short while, some deep, some shallow – some with tongues barely touching, and some where Itachi swore he could almost feel the boy's tender throat. _

_Suddenly, Itachi pulled violently away from the kiss. _

'_S-Shit – ah…' He cursed, mumbling under his breath as the hand holding Sasuke's wrists was forced to release them; bringing his own hand to his head. A roaring pain surged from one side of his head to the other – like a bolt of electricity, making him wince. _

_Sasuke, feeling the blood returning to his numb fingertips, worriedly looked at his brother. _

'_Itachi? Are you… are you hurt?' He asked timidly, raising a tingling hand to the flushed cheek of his aniki. He had barely touched the skin, when his hand was suddenly gripped in cold fingers, and lowered down a little. _

'_J-Just a… a headache.' Itachi muttered, opening his black eyes (he had closed them in pain) and placing a gentle kiss on his otouto's fingers. Sasuke blushed. _

'_Go on,' Itachi said – surprisingly gently, considering the raging headache that he was currently having to endure, '– you need to go to bed.' When Sasuke made no attempt to move off his lap, he playfully slapped the clothed flesh where his hand still lay; resting on the boy's behind. Sasuke gave a small smile, and scooted off his brother's knees. Without a glance back at his aniki, he scuttled up the stairs, and to his own room. Itachi heard the bedroom door click gently shut. _

_Sighing, he relaxed fully into the leather armchair, and rubbed at his throbbing temples. By the pain in his head, he knew he was in for one heck of a hangover tomorrow morning… he wouldn't carelessly go drinking with the squad members anytime soon… _

_Even if it __**did**__ give him an excuse to touch and fondle his younger brother. _

* * *

The zipper to Sasuke's trousers was open, along with the folds of the fabric. The hand inside worked quickly – intent on achieving one thing, and that thing only. Recalling the memory of his older brother and himself; the position they had been in, him straddling the large legs, having his wrists held down in his lap tightly – _restraining him_ – having the immense feeling of pleasure every time that tongue swept over his gums and teeth; and the gentle stinging sensation whenever that hand had slapped him… all the memories stirred, creating a surreal picture in Sasuke's head. 

With a final heavy, shaking breath – Sasuke found that one thing he had been trying to achieve, and he brought himself to release. He was still sitting on the floor of his corridor, back to the door, one hand withdrawing from his now-sticky trousers.

Whatever spell Itachi was casting, Sasuke was trapped. The mere idea of pleasuring himself to erotic moments between them was enough to surely prove the fact. Trying to calm his racing heart down, he relaxed fully against the cold door. Beyond the door behind him, was another world. A world where his brother was – where things could happen between them once again. The kiss had only been the start; opening the door just a crack, but allowing some of the old feelings in. Stepping out into that world was going to be difficult – and it would hurt. Rejection, lust, love – it was all out there, ready to hurt and stab and render anything that would come to face with it…

…_and I'm afraid to feel that pain. _

* * *

x.x.x

The following day, after the brother's encounter in the cell, Sasuke found himself back there. Not in the cell, but in the Hokage's secluded room – on a different level to the mediocre confinements of the prisoners. Sasuke hadn't known that the KCCC had had two floors; one above, and one below. Well, you learn something new everyday, he reminded himself.

He was sitting in a small chair on one side of the Hokage's desk; whilst Tsunade herself sat on the other; arms resting on the desk between them.

Sasuke had been notified by yet another ANBU (he was sure that he had seen enough of them in the past three days to last him a lifetime…) to go once more to the KCCC – and meet with the Hokage. He had felt a small bit of relief from this; surely he would find out why Tsunade hadn't heard his shouts from within the cell the previous day? He would be sure to ask her. He deserved answers more than anyone.

'Sasuke,' she began slowly, shifting a little in her seat. 'Your brother was interrogated this morning, by two of the chief members of our squad here at the KCCC.'

Sasuke quickly flashed a glance at the clock, hanging neatly on the wall behind the desk. The numbers clearly displayed the time; 2:00pm exactly.

'…it was to be a normal routine interrogation, just a few questions –'

'But you weren't really expecting him to answer, were you?' Sasuke interrupted, ignoring the surprised look on Tsunade's face at his sudden words. 'I mean, why would he suddenly decide to tell you all the answers? Itachi's mind…doesn't work like that.' He said, somewhat bitterly.

'That's exactly what I was coming to,' Tsunade replied. 'We don't know _how_ his mind works – we've never had an S-Rank criminal kept here in confinement. All the guards have been on edge – expecting something terrible to happen them. I know that they're afraid only of his reputation; they have no idea what the man is like, first hand.'

_I do. _Sasuke thought, silently.

'In any case, we decided just to try a normal interrogation; one that we'd submit to all our prisoner's here. But…' She paused.

'…Something went terribly wrong.' Sasuke's stomach tightened. What had he done? What had that bastard done this time?

Tsunade noticed the sudden flash of unease in the boy's black eyes, and carried on.

'Like I said, two members of our team entered Itachi's cell. Itachi was still chained to the far wall, and they didn't dare to move him. One of our members recalled that Itachi didn't seem at all fazed by the fact of interrogation; almost as if he had nothing to hide…. In any case, they stood before him, and began with the normal questions; where were you on the day etc, etc. Just your average questions, really.'

Sasuke nodded. Tsunade continued.

'However, when it became apparent that Itachi wasn't going to reply to any of them… well, let's just say that one of the squad members began to get a bit… _frustrated_. He brought up the idea that maybe he would force the answers out of him… and he withdrew a kunai from his belt. He went to use the weapon to threaten Itachi – but just as he was about to press it to his neck, he dropped down – dead.'

Sasuke's stomach tightened once again; but this time, not in fear, not even in pity for the now deceased-ANBU… no, it was in anger. How could Itachi kill someone – in a prison?! The irony wasn't even laughable. It was just plain stupidity. No-one in their right mind would do such a thing – oh, but, then again, Itachi didn't _have_ a right mind.

'We believe that it was a technique used via the sharingan – maybe the kind of jutsu that yourself and Kakashi were trapped under recently. In any case, when I was called to the infirmary in town; there was no possible I could save him. He was dead in a matter of seconds; but I'm not sure that it was pain-less.'

She stopped, and leant back in her chair; the material creaking slightly with the added weight. Sasuke thought briefly on the new information; trying to piece together some bits of the puzzle that was his brother's mind. He seemed to do things so recklessly. Didn't he realise that that was a person's _life _he had taken away? That person did nothing wrong; okay, so he had threatened Itachi with a kunai – but surely Itachi hadn't felt it to be _such_ a threat that he needed to kill the guy?

It made no sense.

'Oh, Tsunade-sama – ' Sasuke suddenly began, remembering the question he was going to ask in the first place.

'Yesterday, when I met Itachi – ano… when I came out – you weren't there… where…were you?'

Tsunade looked at Sasuke curiously. 'There wasn't any problem, was there, Sasuke?' She asked slowly. Sasuke shook his head.

'No – no problem…' _Except the kiss. The kiss which means that you haven't thought of anything else since it happened. The kiss which he gave you – which you __**accepted**__ –_

'Only I was just… wondering where you were.' _And wondering why you didn't come in to prevent that kiss from happening_.

'Oh,' she replied, '- I totally forgot to tell you. When I was sitting outside Itachi's cell, waiting for you to come out, I received a message. It was a letter from the Kage of the Land of Stone. Turns out that a couple of days ago they had several sightings of various Akatsuki members throughout the country; and a few days later, they had found a trail of… corpses… leading in a trail from the Land of Stone to the borderline of the Wave Country.'

'…exactly where Itachi was found,' Sasuke muttered slowly; his mind trying to process the onslaught of new information. It couldn't be coincidence.

'Yes. The corpses were mainly members of the defence league from the Land of Stone. Apparently they had been tracking one of the Akatsuki members that had spotted; and then… well, they were found dead. I have been called to the land of Stone to survey the bodies – but until I have time, I have had to make do with just a plain description of the state they were found in…'

There was a slight moment of silence, broken only by the sounds of heavy doors opening and closing occasionally; sounds reverberating from the cells below them. It unnerved Sasuke to think that his brother was down there – with the lowly prisoners who might have committed petty things like theft or fraud. It just didn't seem…right.

'And?' Sasuke pressed, determined to get as much information as he could in order to fir the puzzle pieces together.

'And? There is no '_and'_ Sasuke.' Tsunade replied angrily, setting one fist down on the desktop. A few documents scattered slightly on its surface.

'That's the weird thing. I received the descriptions of the bodies when you were with Itachi; I had to leave to go and re-read them to the ANBU squad here, along with our trainee medic nins. The bodies were barely harmed. No bruises, no cuts, only a few minor scrapes – _that was all_. They were all dead, but weren't killed physically.'

'Well then – it must have been Itachi!' Sasuke exclaimed. 'He must have used the sharingan to kill them all!'

'But how do you explain his several broken bones?'

Sasuke bit his lip to silence himself. He watched as Tsunade sighed, and relaxed once more. The atmosphere was tight and tense. Neither of them understood anything – not a thing, and it was starting to dawn on both of them. Itachi was making his point very clear – he'd kill anyone.

_Anyone_.

And so far, nobody had had any information from him. The only people to get anything from Itachi – was Sasuke. Sasuke stood a small chance at getting the answers from his stotic sibling… but… even still…

'I'll meet with him again, Tsunade-sama.' He said, standing up from his chair.

'I'll try and find out some more information from him directly – then maybe we can start sorting this out.'

The Hokage sighed, and nodded slowly.

'Okay.' She replied simply, and watched as Sasuke left the room.

_Does my job really have to be so hard? _She asked herself, as she buried her head in her hands; resting them on the desk. She couldn't put her finger on it – but something wasn't right. The look in Itachi's eyes when she had seen him awaken from unconsciousness in his cell the previous day… it was… just strange. There was no better word for it. The look in Sasuke's eyes when she had asked him if anything had happened when she had gone away from the cell that time… that was strange too.

Both brothers were hiding something.

She just didn't know what.

* * *

TBC… 

_Next chapter: Just when Sasuke is about to leave the criminal centre, something truly 'explosive' happens. _

Please review! I'm sorry for the lack of 'action' in this chapter – I'll make up for it in the next one. Oh, and any flames for Itachi's 'out of character-ness' during the flashback, will be stamped into the dust. I mean, come on, he was _drunk_. He's bound to be out of character:3


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N::**

This latest chapter has a lot going on; the story is nearing its end, and this chapter is most likely going to the longest. If you get confused, don't worry. All questions will be answered within the next few chapters; and for those of you who are wondering, there'll be a fair amount of ItaSasu content in this chappie. Oh, and that promised lemon scene? Next chapter my friend. ;D

* * *

_And so it seems, we won't find the solution…_

…_confusion leads the dance. _

* * *

Chapter 5

_I'm not going to play Itachi's game anymore. I've had enough of always being the little brother; the __**baby**__ brother. Those memories, those touches… they were so long ago now; I don't have to live in the past. I'll just forget him. _

Even as Sasuke thought this, as he walked down the white corridors from Tsunade's office, he knew it was easier said then done. If he wanted to forget Itachi and everything that had happened between them… why had he said that he would meet with the criminal again?

_Because…I – I __**want**__ to believe…that, maybe we – maybe he, felt the same…_

For a brief moment, Sasuke found himself biting his bottom lip. The fact that Itachi had kissed him yesterday – and infact he _had_ kissed him, not the other way round – must have _meant_ something…something to Itachi himself…

Sasuke's walk slowed, before stopping to a halt. The white walls of the corridor seemed to contract the sheer blackness in both his mind and heart… the heart which had been touched by the tainted fingers of his brother; caressed and fondled and kissed with his feather-light touches.

All those memories… it was true. They _were_ a long time ago – but to Sasuke, standing alone in the long winding corridors of the Criminal Complex… they had never felt more real. He wanted – needed – to see Itachi; needed to get some answers, and not just about why he was in Konoha… no. He needed to get answers for himself; he needed to be reassured by his brother that his feelings weren't going unrequited…

Even though he was ninety-nine percent sure they were.

He descended the winding staircase to the first floor.

The silence that hounded Sasuke's thoughts was hollow and empty, making the distance between his wretched brother -only a few metres near him most probably- all the more close. It was strange, Sasuke could detect Itachi's unique chakra flow anywhere… how come, when Itachi was so close, he couldn't feel the chakra at all? Was he… trying to hide it?

Clenching his fist, Sasuke angrily slammed it into the wall beside him. Itachi was being so…so _stupid_ lately; killing all those people out at Stone, then killing the ANBU guard – and for what reason? He refused to say. The bastard actually had the nerve to _refuse_ to answer the questions! How could he be so ignorant – so stuck up?

Sasuke gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with fury as he forcefully punched the wall once more.

That was when the wall exploded.

In one bright flash, the brick and plaster wall where Sasuke's fist rested, burst into a mass of orange flames, sending bits of brick hurtling through the air like pieces of fragmented glass.

The young Uchiha was sent hurtling across the width of the corridor; his back slamming mercilessly into the wall within the rising cloud of burning embers and dust. He cried out in shock as the flames momentarily engulfed his body; licking at his skin and causing him to writhe in pain at the fiery sensation of pure _burning_. As quickly as they had come, the raging ball of fire dispersed, with no matter left to feed it.

Sasuke coughed, feeling the heavy dust cloud scorch his throat as he sunk to the floor. Pieces of sharp brick and rough plaster scratched against his cheek on the ground his eyes glazed over and unfocused in both shock and pain. Something thick was dribbling down the nape of his neck, and with battered fingers, he reached out a hand to touch it.

Blood. A large wound stretched across the expanse of his head, matting his raven hair in scarlet blood. His hand fell limply back to his side, his fingertips stained with the liquid that was slowly pooling under his face. He was sure what had happened. Fire – burning – blood. The only words that flicked through his head, and gave him no insight to the incident.

Voices could be heard, distant, but not far. Sliding his stinging eyes shut, Sasuke forced a weak plea of help from his chapped lips; but all that escaped his mouth was a muted whimper.

'Ssh… it's okay...' Somebody said gently from above him, and Sasuke was vaguely aware of the person kneeling down to his level, and a warm hand cupping his cheek.

The hand on his face stroked it slowly, as if hesitant. Sasuke – on the verge of fainting – hardly felt the butterfly-soft kiss being placed on his bloody forehead, or the way that the lips seemed to linger there. As the lips pulled away, the person leaned in impossibly closer; his breath striking Sasuke's ear.

'…wait for me…' The person whispered softly, before standing up – and running down the singed corridor, away from the destruction and the blackened walls. The white paint had all but burnt away; the remnants of purity in the colour destroyed. Never again would those white walls symbolize calmness and peace; all they would ever resemble is dark, scorched envy – painted anew with a sinister black left from the blaze…

The person seemed to taint everything he touched.

As he rounded a corner, and vanished through one of the collapsed walls, Sasuke fell into unconsciousness, unaware of how the remaining flames around him, burning away merrily at piles of debris, quickly died to nothing but ash.

* * *

xxxxxx

* * *

'Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.' Tsunade mockingly said aloud, once again surveying the cell that once held the S-Rank criminal captive. The wrought iron door had been the target of the jutsu; it either melted on contact, or was simply blown into millions of pieces. In any case, that door didn't exist anymore. The surrounding walls of the cells had also taken the brunt of the attack, leaving one huge exit for the criminal to escape through. 

The jutsu was powerful – unbelievably so. Obviously fire-related. Not only had the fireball blown apart the cell, but had also devoured more than seven (luckily empty) cells and corridors in its wake.

Total destruction lay in piles of rubble and dust throughout the first floor.

Tsunade sighed, and kicked a loose brick on the ground with her foot. It skidded down the hallway, before coming to an abrupt stop. She had found Sasuke merely seconds after the explosion; she had heard the crash of some powerful impact just outside her office, and had ran to see what the commotion was. She had spotted Sasuke lying haphazardly against the far wall, his fair skin blackened with smoke and ash. By the time she had reached him, she knew he was unconscious – _not dead, just unconsciousness_, she reminded herself. Without a seconds hesitation, she called for her assistant, Shizune (who had luckily appeared from her own office) to take Sasuke to the medical court in Konoha. In a matter of minutes, Sasuke was on his way to hospital, and Tsunade was left alone in the singed corridor.

The door that had kept her criminal in confinement lay at her feet in pieces. Shattered, rendered, _burnt_.

For some reason, the Hokage found herself burying her head in her hands. Her blonde hair had fallen free from the two ponytails, and fell slightly over her forehead. Her anger and humiliation was hidden behind that small blonde veil.

Getting herself together a little, Tsunade let her hands fall back to her sides. Turning smartly on her heel, she proceeded down the smouldering corridor, leaving all the demolition and ruin behind her. Her best team of ANBU ninjas weren't called the best for nothing; as soon as she had heard the explosion, they had come running to her office to check on her safety. They had been dispatched with orders to follow any possible trails the escaped Nin could have left behind.

_Could_ have left behind, she reminded herself. If he had managed to break out of the KCCC – then surely he wouldn't be stupid enough to leave a trail?

_But don't forget, _she added, as she rounded a corner in the winding building. _– that sometimes, when people are tempted, or even obsessed by something that they desire… _

…_they can do very stupid things indeed. _

* * *

xxxxxx

* * *

Sasuke awoke to the feeling of numbness. He was cold, his skin prickled, and his ears felt as if they were filled with cotton wool. He tried to shift a little, but couldn't feel his muscles move. 

Hn.

He tried again. Same result.

Slowly, he tried to open his eyes. His eyelashes fluttered open, revealing his dark irises that merged into the black pupils. He didn't know where he was; everything felt so…_numb_.

'Sasuke-kun?'

A voice from beside him. An uncertain, feminine voice, repeating his name once again as she came closer: 'Sasuke?'

He blinked, and watched as the figure of a young woman blurred into the line of his vision. Why were his eyes acting up? Why was his skin itchy and uncomfortable? Why was the scent of disinfectant so strong in the air? Sasuke had many questions he wanted to ask her.

Shizune stood beside the boy in the bed, and gently touched his exposed neck. A faint, but steady heartbeat pulsated gently against her fingers. It was a reassuring sign. She pulled up a chair from just across the white room, and sat down beside the bed.

'Whe…where am I?' Sasuke asked, his voice catching in his throat which felt like rough sandpaper. 'Konoha hospital; you've been here for a few hours now,' the woman replied softly, looking intently at Sasuke's bruised skin. Faint purple blotches stained his neck, face, and the skin that was hidden beneath the thin sheets; wrapped pristinely in white bandages. They would fade soon enough; maybe in another hour or so. The drug she had given Sasuke was one of her own. She had made it to try and diminish the appearance of swelling on war-victims – and it had a very high success rate of completely restoring the surface of damaged skin. She had felt that it was necessary to give to Sasuke, who had suffered severe burns to various parts of his body.

'B-but…' Sasuke began, ' – why am I here? In hospital?'

Shizune decided she wouldn't beat around the bush. Sasuke needed answers, and answers she'd give him. It would put his mind at rest (to some degree anyway) that he knew he was receiving the information.

'There was an explosion a few hours ago, back at the Criminal Complex south of the village,' she said confidently. 'The blast destroyed about seven cells, and completely burnt the corridor you were walking down at the time.'

_Burnt…? _Sasuke thought to himself.

'…The explosion came from Itachi's cell. He had performed a jutsu to somehow blast his way out of the centre; and…well, you can guess what has happened.' She ended with a short sigh, which Sasuke barely heard. His mind was racing; Itachi was _out_?

Strangely, he wasn't surprised.

'The ANBU squad are currently out looking for him,' Shizune continued, ' – no-one saw him leave or escape…their weren't many guards patrolling near his cell as it was, and the scorch of the blaze temporarily blinded any passers by; oh – which reminds me…'

Sasuke watched from the bed as the woman stood, and withdrew a long senbon-style needle from the sleeve of her uniform. He gulped, and winced as the action caused his throat to painfully tighten.

'W-what is that?'

'A numbing poison, not the kind that you've encountered on missions and things though. This is only a kind of medicine to help relax your muscles, it won't actually _poison_ you.' She quickly added, smiling as she took a step closer to the boy.

'It won't hurt much.'

'That's what they all say,' he bitterly replied. He'd been to hospital many times before; just after the massacre, during the Chuunin Exams, _after _the Chuunin Exams… and all the doctors and nurses all said the same thing: 'It won't hurt much.' It was rather ironic, Sasuke noticed - as Shizune gently picked up his bruised hand, and pressed with her thumb to find the vein – why people always lied. Even the professionals in hospitals lied to their naïve patients; telling them things when they should really be saying: 'Will it hurt? Oh yes ma'am. I mean, have you seen the _size_ of this needle?! Tch, yeah, this is going to hurt like hell. Oh, and down those aspirin before I start; you're throat is going to be sore from screaming.'

And yes, Sasuke _did_ feel the needle breaking through the skin of his hand. Yes, he _did_ feel a sharp tweak as the very tip of the needle entered his vein. Was it painful? Yes. But compared to other kinds of pain he had felt, it was nothing but a mere annoyance; like a fly that buzzes around your face in the heat of summer.

'There you go,' Shizune said, removing the needle now empty of its contents from the back of the pale hand. 'You'll be fine in a couple of hours Sasuke, and then you'll be discharged.'

'But…what about Itachi? Will they find him?' He asked quietly.

'…I honestly don't know.' She muttered, turning her back to him as she headed for the door. She placed her hand on the metal handle. 'I don't know anything when it comes to Itachi Uchiha.'

She left without another word, and Sasuke closed his eyes as the door was closed shut.

* * *

It had only been about ten minutes, when he was awoken from his light sleep. Almost immediately he knew that someone was in the room with him; the sheer feeling was present in his mind, telling him – _warning_ him that something was terribly wrong. 

He painfully shifted in the bed, and snapped his eyes open.

Scarlet eyes stared back at him from at the end of the bed.

'You're a regular visitor here Sasuke,' it said, as it moved with cat-like grace around the foot of the bed. It's white hand trailed lightly across the metal bed frame, the soft clanging of an emblazoned ring clinking gently against the bars rang throughout the room.

'And almost every time you're in here…you think of me. Ironic, ne?' It laughed darkly. 'It's funny how you always fall in love with the one who hurts you the most.'

It had reached the side of the bed now. If Sasuke were to reach out with one of his numbed arms, he would've been able to grab at the black cloak that so nearly brushed against his face.

'What's wrong Sasuke? What have I done to deserve the silent treatment?'

Sasuke remained exactly that. Silent.

'Ah, you're confused aren't you? You can't understand your own emotions and raw feelings for me… that one kiss we shared the other day has made you doubt yourself entirely.'

It's cold voice – no matter how dark, how evil, how _icy_ – spoke the truth.

Sasuke's heart leapt to his throat as he watched it slowly lift a knee up onto the mattress, placing it gently over his hip. It smiled, scarlet eyes glinting with unhidden desire as it crawled slowly over Sasuke's body, a knee on either side of the lithe waist.

The young boy could do nothing as the intruder leaned over him, black hair hanging limply around it's shoulders as it positioned itself so close to him. How could the thing that was so forbidden to him, be so close and in-reach?

It leaned forward slightly, resting it's lips on the boy's neck. 'Let me help you sort out those confusing emotions…' It whispered, placing a soft kiss on the precious thudding of the steadily increasing pulse.

Sasuke didn't want to scream out this time. Sasuke didn't want anyone to walk in on them, or intervene, or tell him how wrong it was. He wanted to know more…_feel_ more.

He nodded numbly in response to the other's request, and whimpered softly as a trail of butterfly kisses were placed upon the expanse of his throat and jaw.

It seemed like a painful eternity before those warm lips found his own. The kiss was seemingly chase, just their warm lips meeting… but Sasuke found himself wanting more. He…he knew he had wanted it for so long – why should he deny it now?

Itachi sat up slightly, propping his upper body up onto his elbows. His warm breath dampened Sasuke's lips, and made the younger shiver in a way that felt so delightfully… sinful.

Oh yes, it was wrong. It was forbidden. It was pure lust in its most carnal form. Sasuke whimpered, and leaned up to once more claim those lips in his own. Itachi obliged, and gladly took control of his little-brother's passion as there tongues met.

Minutes passed, and the kisses continued. Sasuke felt on such a high – he didn't care about anything, or anyone, anymore. His numb body was trapped under the cage of his brother's, with an arm on either side of his head, and a leg on either side of his waist. He felt so trapped…but he had never felt so excited. His groin stirred, and he let a slow moan escape his lips – only for it to be devoured by Itachi's - to try and relieve some tension.

The kiss broke, strings of saliva still connecting their lips before falling to Sasuke's chin. Pleasure soared through his paralyzed body as kisses were placed on his jaw and neck, travelling slowly down, and down, and down…right to his clothed chest where that hot mouth enveloped one of his nipples.

'S..top…o..negai…' He pleaded breathlessly, desperate for the teasing to stop. They should be…_talking _about their feelings for each other… not…doing _this _… His mind faded to nothing more than registering the pure feeling: the lips on his t-shirt, mouthing the flesh beneath it; the fingers toying with the hem of his shirt, easing the material up slightly to slide a warm palm underneath. All other thoughts, all emotions other than lust and greed and desire…melted away to a cotton-candy state; hazy and fuzzy.

'I don't want to stop…' Itachi replied, lifting his mouth from the wet patch slowly darkening the material to speak. He smiled at Sasuke's bewildered expression – with small pink lips parted, black bangs sticking to his forehead, and a tiny slip on saliva seeping from the corner of his mouth. Itachi's smile morphed into a smirk, as he felt the boy's hips buck up to meet him.

'Is that medicine starting to wear off, Sasuke?' He asked, sitting back on his heels and straddling the boy. He gently ran a svelte finger across the exposed skin of Sasuke's abdomen, before leaning down and placing a soft kiss just above the small navel. He trailed the kisses downward, swirling his tongue into the boy's bellybutton.

Sasuke mewled at the cold sensation emanating from his skin where Itachi's tongue darted across it. The medicine that seemed to have numbed – almost paralyzed – his body completely, now seemed to be heightening the sensations.

Itachi smiled, feeling the hot, hard lump in Sasuke's groin, pressing against his cheek. He shifted slightly above; nuzzling his face in a kitten-like-manner into the obvious erection. The sound of Sasuke half-heartedly shouting out his pleasure sounded like music to his ears – but, to Sasuke, he hardly heard himself.

Sasuke didn't hear the sound of his zipper being pulled slowly down.

He didn't hear the moans that escaped Itachi's mouth as he tenderly brought a hand to push the trouser fabric away.

All Sasuke heard, was his name, being called.

'Sa…suke.' His name being called, but not by Itachi. No, Itachi's mouth remained closed. Both brothers looked around, dazed. Who was saying Sasuke's name?

'Sasu…ke.'

'Sasuk…e.'

'Sasuke.'

**'Sasuke!'**

That was when Itachi smiled up at Sasuke's face, and dispersed like a mirage. Sasuke cried out in shock, feeling the heavy press of his brother's body above him suddenly vanish. As soon as it had started, Sasuke's dream ended. He awoke to Shizune's worried face, her arms clutching at his shoulders – shaking him.

* * *

xxxxxx

* * *

'For a moment there, I thought that maybe you were having some side-effects of the medicine…you were really tense, and were saying…things… in your sleep. Good thing it was only a dream, ne?' 

Sasuke nodded, watching from his position in the hospital bed as Shizune poured him a glass of water. It had been half an hour since she had woken the boy up from his nightmare; his brow shining with sweat, and his eyes flickering behind closed eyelids. He had woken up quickly…but had been unusually silent ever since; sitting upright in the bed, leaning against the metal headboard.

'Still,' she continued unnerved. 'It looks like that medicine of mine seems to be doing its job… your skin is almost perfectly healed.' She handed the glass of icy water to Sasuke, who took it with a slightly shaking hand. Shizune chose not to comment on it. That nightmare…whatever it had been, had shaken him _badly_. She couldn't begin to imagine what it was about…although she had a good idea. _Itachi_. That one word had escaped the boy's mouth more than once when she had been trying to awake him… and with the elder Uchiha out of prison, and out in the streets once again –she couldn't even describe the fear she felt for the boy.

'Thank you…Shizune-san.' Sasuke said softly, after taking a mouthful of the water that made his teeth ache with its coldness. He flexed his neck, feeling it snap and crackle like popcorn, before setting his glass down beside the bed. 'Thank you for everything.'

Shizune smiled and nodded politely, before she offered the fragile boy a hand. 'Come on,' she said, running a hand through the boy's hair like a mother would do to her son. 'Let's get you back home.'

Sasuke nodded slowly and took her hand in his.

* * *

xxxxxx

* * *

It was night now. The day had gone so slowly for him, and yet had also gone so quickly. Funny how time works like that; when the seconds are ticking by at the same rate, same speed, day in and day out – but can sometimes feel like you're waiting years for the next minute to come. The length of a day seems stretched out, and there are times when you look up at the sky and swear that the sun hasn't moved at all. 

Yes, it was a funny thing indeed.

He had run from the explosion; with only the tiny corner of his clothing being scorched by a stray flame. In a way, he had felt torn between staying there and looking after the boy, who he had left, damaged and bruised on the receiving end of the blaze, and running away. Inevitably, he was forced to choose the latter. It was part of his plan to deliberately focus the jutsu of fire onto the boy; purely to distract others and allow himself time to get away… But he couldn't deny that when the hand signs had been formed, and the fingertip raised to lips, a flicker of doubt had crossed is mind. He couldn't help but think 'here we go again', with leaving him behind, with hurting him once again.

He ran from the building, escaping in a flurry of dust and debris smouldering into thick tendrils in the air. He had run and run, ignoring the painful sensation as his ribs shifted with every movement; the bandages wrapped tightly around his chest doing nothing to prevent the agony. Still, he could cope. He _had _to.

For hours, he had focused his chakra into a substantial disguise, and had hidden (just to avoid contact with others if at all possible) outside a small apartment on the outskirts of Konoha. He knew the house; he'd never seen it before, but he recognized the chakra signature that lingered around the walls. He recognised that chakra anywhere – it was something that fuelled his adrenalin, and heightened his senses at the prospect of exactly _who_ owned such a delicate chakra.

He had gritted his teeth as he watched a small woman escorting him up to the apartment door. They had shared a hug; not even that – it was more a…gesture of comfort; a hand on the shoulder; a reassuring pat.

He smiled as he watched the tiny display of affection. He knew he could comfort the boy in a so much better way…a way that would be so much more…_productive_.

As the door shut, leaving the boy on one side, and the woman walking away into the busy city…he smiled once more.

It wasn't long until he was ready to strike. Swinging down from his position in the tree (such was his hiding place) he carefully gathered his very small amount of remaining chakra, and focused it intently to replenish his disguise. Couldn't have it failing halfway through the plan now we could we? No, that simply wouldn't do.

He wouldn't want to ruin the…_fun_. Not after he had endured hell to go to Konoha; fighting all those ninja from the Land of Stone, not to mention the sheer draining feeling Kisame's sword had given him… He was glad it was all over. _For now_, he quickly reminded himself.

Feeling that his disguise was sufficient enough for the time being, he casually walked up to the door of the apartment.

_Knock Knock. _

He waited patiently for a few seconds, watching as the dark blurry image of someone approaching the door became visible through the warped glass panes above the knocker. He quickly remembered the last piece of his disguise, and placed the heavy china mask infront of his eyes.

The door opened without hesitation; he wasn't really expecting anything less. It's not like he would actually _recognise _him…not in this disguise. Ignoring the pain in his chest, he spoke his first words calmly and collected – matching his appearance:

'Sasuke-kun, I have a message from Tsunade about today's events.'

Sasuke nodded; one hand resting on the door frame, regarding the ANBU's porcelain mask and attire. There was an awkward silence as the boy waited for the message to be delivered; but that obviously wasn't the case. 'Can I…come in?' The ninja said from behind his face of china.

'….sure.' Sasuke muttered, taking his hand from the door, and stepping aside. The ninja did so; stepping into the small corridor with soft footsteps that shouted 'stealth' to the younger boy. Nervously, Sasuke closed the door on the evening-lit streets, which were beginning to warm with colours of orange and gold in the setting sun.

Itachi could only smile to himself as heard the door latch shut, with a definitive click.

Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

TBC… 

_Next chapter: ……… … … _No clue for today! There's enough info. up in the A/N. ;D Oh, if you haven't yet read it, please go and read/review my new oneshot 'Bittersweet'. If you like dark, yet fluffy, yet oh-so-angsty ItaSasu - you'll like it.


	6. Chapter 6

_

* * *

_

_All this black and cruel despair, this is an emergency. _

_Don't you hide your eyes from me,_

_Open them,_

_and see me now._

* * *

**Chapter 6**

'What do you want to tell me?' Sasuke asked, as he pushed the door shut; leaving himself and the anbu standing alone in the corridor of his apartment. There was a tight, claustrophobic feel to the air – and Sasuke didn't like it. Something just didn't seem right; something strange, something foreboding.

'I don't have the time to be talking to you,' he began again, as he watched the armour-clad ninja turn slightly to face him. The cold gaze from beneath the china mask made a shiver trickle slowly up the boy's spine. 'I'm meant to be thinking over where Itachi could have gone.'

'Ah yes, I was there on duty with Tsunade when he broke free – some kind of fire jutsu was it not?'

Sasuke nodded. 'Yeah, I imagine it was our family's jutsu, a special fire-style technique that my father taught him. It's only one more way that he's disgraced our clan; using the precious jutsu to nearly demolish a building…'

''Disgraced?'' The ninja queried gently, as he watched Sasuke lean against the wall opposite him, still in the corridor. It was obvious that he wasn't going to be invited in any further, but, he didn't mind. 'Do you really think that breaking free of his captors and thus potentially saving his life – was really disgraceful?'

Sasuke flashed the anbu a dangerous look, 'Of course it was…he…he deserves to die afterall he's done…to them…to me…' His voice trailed off to a whisper, as his mind became wrapped up in thought – deep thoughts about his brother, about the pain he felt, about the love he still held for him in his heart. Why did he find it so hard to say his love in words? 'He was destined for disgrace.'

Itachi clenched a fist by his side, the action going un-noticed by his younger brother. He was fuming inside. The whole plan for _using_ a disguise to confront Sasuke, was to hear what Sasuke _really _thought of him; as a brother, as a murderer…as something more. To hear that all he was thought of was a disgrace…there was definitely no love in those words.

Itachi took a small intake of breath, steeling himself for his next sentence, carefully thought out:

'…why do you…_hate_ him so much?'

He saw the look of utter fury cross in front of those dark eyes, penetrating him from the side of the corridor as the words registered in his head. He saw the young boy push himself up from the wall, and walk those few precious metres towards him.

Sasuke slammed a hand onto the anbu's wrist, and pinned them both to the wall on either side of the ninja's head. He growled lightly before spitting out his response: 'What the _hell_ do you know?! You don't have the right to speak to me like you know me – infact; you shouldn't even be here, tell me the message and get the hell out!!'

He accentuated his sentence by pushing harder onto the two thin wrists in his hands, pushing the man harder into wall. He heard the sharp intake of breath as the anbu clenched his hands into fists. He obviously wasn't too happy with the reversal of who had superiority over whom. 'Tell. Me. The. Message.' Sasuke spoke through gritted teeth, wanting to smash that china mask, just so he could see the shielded eyes shine with the fear and anger he _knew_ would be shining there.

'The message…?' The Anbu murmured softly, feeling his wrists grow numb in the surprisingly tight grip. 'I…I'm here to get some answers from you, Sasuke.'

'Well how about you give _me_ answers?!' The boy immediately retorted. 'I've been denied them all my life – I don't need to be left in the dark anymore!'

Itachi couldn't help but flinch at the outburst once again. Sasuke was on a short fuse; one which Itachi knew he had whittled down everytime he left the boy behind, everytime he hurt him and confused him… At that moment, standing in the corridor of his brother's home, pinned up against the cold wall by the wrists, Itachi had never felt such an urge to simply _hold_ his baby-brother. He wanted to feel that soft skin shiver under his fingertips; wanted to entwine their fingers and wrap their legs around eachother; he wanted to kiss those lips and lick away the tears that were destined to fall. He wanted so much.

'Please, Sasuke,' he said calmly, feeling the grip on his wrists loosen a little as he spoke, 'I just want to ask you a few questions…purely for our information record; Tsunade's orders,' he quickly added.

Sasuke sighed, and inclined his head slightly. All of the recent events had him feeling exhausted, he didn't _want_ to answer anything…he wanted the anbu to leave, and he wanted to sleep off his confusion. 'Fine.' Sasuke said, letting the wrists off the anbu fall back to his armour-clad sides. 'Ask me, but make it quick.'

Itachi nodded, knowing that this would be his only chance to get those priceless answers. About 'Itachi's Breakout?' Of course not.

'Okay, tell me Sasuke – when you were younger, when the...clan…was still alive, what was your relationship like with Itachi?' He shifted slightly on the spot. It felt so forced to be playing this disguise, he hated it…but, it was necessary. He would get his answers, and then leave. Sasuke wouldn't know anything about his appearance in his own home.

'It's hard to…explain…' Sasuke began, standing before the anbu with one hand lightly rubbing at his temples. 'I…I looked up to Itachi, he wasn't just a brother-'

Itachi's heart twisted in his chest.

' – he was just…perfect. Like a best friend, he was just always there for me…I…I loved him. You wouldn't understand,' Sasuke muttered, turning his face to stare at the painted china mask. 'If you've never had siblings…I guess you wouldn't ever understand.'

'Oh, I've had siblings,' Itachi said, in a voice that seemed almost reminiscent. 'I had a brother, and yes, I know exactly what you mean. You loved him, but…maybe even _more_ than a brother…?'

Sasuke stared, his black eyes wide; not blinking. 'How…did you know…? I've never met you before…you…' The black eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on the mask so intently – as if he were trying to see the scarlet eyes beneath it.

'I just know; from the way you talk about him, I mean.' Itachi said quickly, trying to cover up for the curiosity Sasuke seemed to have over his comments. He relaxed a little as the boy replied with a gentle: '…oh.'

'Next question…' The anbu said, watching for a confirming nod from the younger boy before continuing. '…when you grew up with Itachi, did you ever…wish that you could…be something more than just brothers?'

Sasuke took a step back from the anbu, and began walking down the corridor, heading towards the main room of the apartment. For a moment, Itachi remained standing in the corridor, wondering if Sasuke had chosen to ignore him, or had even _heard_ him, before he watched the boy beckon him with a tilt of his head, into the room.

Itachi walked slowly, his doubt growing heavier with each step as he proceeded after the boy into the living room; adorned with a small coffee table and plush couches.

Sasuke stood with his back to the anbu, not wanting to look him in the eye when he spoke the word:

'…yes.'

Silence. Neither of them spoke for that brief period of awkwardness; Sasuke stood still, fists clenched at his sides; Itachi's heart leapt to his throat and thudded wildly. He had desired his baby-brother for so long now…to hear that single word being ushered from those lips, made his mind reel with mixtures of lust, and mainly relief.

Sasuke turned to face the ninja behind him. 'But he would never want that…to be something more…It's wrong and dirty for me to even _wish_ it; he only desires to inflict pain and confusion on me – on _others_.'

Suddenly, Itachi's soft and gentle feelings for his brother, changed. Dramatically. Fury and anger and lust and passion enveloped him in black arms, and before he even knew what he was doing, his arms had stretched out, and his fingers had clawed viciously around the boy's forearm.

'Agh – w-what are you -? Let me go!'

Fingers tightened, voices tightened.

'_**Shut up!' **_Itachi shouted angrily. 'You've got it all wrong – you don't know him at all!'

Nails dug in savagely.

'How would you know?! **You mean **_**nothing**_** to me**! Let me go!!'

'**I mean** _**everything **_**to you**!!'

A heavy push.

A body twisting.

A face, slamming into the glass of the coffee table.

The crashing sound fragmenting the air.

Blood spilling out onto the shattered glass like warm syrup; soundless, dripping.

The sudden realisation at the man's words. //_'I…mean…everything…to you.'_ // And Sasuke looked down, looked down at the table, looked down at the shattered pieces of china mask, lying over the wooden floor and the table surface, looked down at the man who he suddenly recognises amongst the blood and the glass and the blood. Oh gods…the blood. Running over the edge of the table, coating strands of black hair, dripping in crimson beads onto the floor.

Sasuke didn't realise, as he walked those few steps around to the front of the coffee table, that he had been holding his breath. Nothing, not a thing, passed in his mind, apart from a name. He knelt down, and stared into those scarlet eyes. They blinked once, no more, no less. The name that raced through Sasuke's mind finds it way to his red lips, and he spoke it aloud:

'…..Itachi.'

* * *

Itachi doesn't speak. Sasuke wonders briefly if he _could_ speak through all that blood that pools under his face. The face that suddenly seems so dangerously beautiful lying in scarlet, matching those eyes so delightfully. 

In his position, kneeling in front of the fractured table top, Sasuke watches the gash on his brother's forehead bleed slowly. _So much blood falls in so little time, _he thinks to himself. It had dribbled in thick streaks down the elder's face, following the slight curves of the cheek bones and those two lines that seemed furrowed into the skin. It gathered at his chin, before falling with a silent splash to join the blood on the table.

It was horrific; but Itachi was still conscious. It was a lot of blood, that was for sure, but not bad enough to severely harm him. Itachi was strong. Itachi could cope.

Only after minutes of literally being in the dark, did he choose to speak:

'That was a clever move, Sasuke.'

Sasuke ignores him. 'What are you doing here?' He asks; voice barely more than a whisper. He sounds on the verge of tears, Itachi notices. 'You broke out of prison…you're meant to be on the run – so why are you here?' He watches as Itachi presses his cold hand to the table, pushing his weakened body up so that he leaves the table all together. The layer of blood reflects the two bodies off its crimson surface.

'I _am _on the run,' Itachi begins, reaching behind him carefully for the throw lying on the couch. He grabs it and gently moves the corner off it around his lips and chin, trying to ignore how his head reeled with every slight movement he made. The room no longer looked fuzzy in his vision, which was a good thing. He didn't think his baby-brother would attack again, but even if he did, Itachi would reclaim his advantage points. He hadn't been expecting Sasuke to suddenly grab his wrist and pull him around harshly in a small semi-circle type movement, before slamming him head first into the glass coffee table. It was unexpected, un-predictable.

'I've been on the run for eight months now; from shinobi, from enemies…from the Akatsuki.'

Sasuke's attention was solely on his brother as he spoke. The Akatsuki…? But, wasn't that the gang that Itachi was supposedly a member of?

'What…? The Akatsuki? But why?'

Itachi shifted a little as he threw the makeshift towel away from his now-clean face, not watching where it landed. On his knees, he grabbed Sasuke's forearm, where his nails had clutched at only minutes before – although this time, he did not hold the boy in anger or fury. He pulled the arm towards him, and Sasuke fell against his chest in an embrace. He gently stroked at the boy's spiked hair, relishing in its sheen and softness like running-water through his fingers.

'Not now,' he muttered into the raven hair, arms encasing the boy protectively within the warm hold. ' – we can talk about it any other time, I'll tell you everything, but not now.'

Sasuke could only mumble a soft '…okay,' at his brother's words. His small heart was thudding almost painfully against his ribs. The realisation that he had hurt his brother…that he was bleeding…that he was even _here_, seemed to make Sasuke's mind reel. And then to be told that Itachi would tell Sasuke _everything_?

He couldn't believe it.

'But…why are you here?' He asked again, voice muffled by his brother's chest. Itachi blinked, and lifted his head from the black hair under his chin. Two fingers gently tipped Sasuke's face; those dark eyes shining with confusion and pain and regret.

'I wanted to see you again. I wanted to…'

He ran his fingers holding the small jaw across the cheek bone. '…touch you again.' He placed a soft kiss on the porcelain cheek, feeling wetness beneath his lips. Tears.

'Sasuke,' he murmured, holding the boy closer to him. ' – don't. Don't cry. I…didn't mean to make you upset; please,' he gently wiped the tears away with his forefinger. ' – don't cry.'

Sasuke hadn't even realised he _was_ crying. Now he knew. Now he knew nearly _everything_. His brother…he…

'…you feel the same way, Itachi.' It wasn't a question; or if it was, then it was to Sasuke himself. Words escaped his mouth and he had no chance to prevent them.

'…how could I ever feel anything less?' Itachi smiled, pushing the boy back to lie on the floor amidst the glass and the blood and the ruin. '…I've never loved anything more than you. You…' he glanced down into the dark eyes, not looking away for a split second as he spoke the final words: '…are the only thing I live for.'

He kissed him then, on the floor hovering above his younger brother's body. It was deep and it was tender and – just everything that both of them had wished for for so long. Their tongues met and collided, and Itachi drank in the younger as if he were a drug. Sasuke, of course, couldn't complain. He didn't _want_ to. All he could do at that moment was feel; feel and sense everything around him, never wanting the moment to end.

He moaned lightly as a warm tongue stroked the inside of his cheek; the gentleness of such an action making him limbs ache for something…something _else_.

Breathing harshly, Sasuke pulled away from the kiss, turning his head to the side to avoid being caught up in those wonderful lips again. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and he winced when a shard of glass sliced the flesh of his upper arm.

Itachi carefully used a shaking hand to move apart the slender legs, before settling himself on his heels between them. He took in Sasuke's expression; lust-ridden, needy, _wanting_. It was too clichéd for his liking, but he couldn't help but think that the boy beneath him really did take his breath away. He shifted uncomfortably as his groin seemed to tighten, and he knew that Sasuke would be the exact same way.

He pulled one of Sasuke's hands into his own, before resting it in his lap. Sasuke blinked, and his cheeks flushed red when he realised where his hand suddenly was. His fingers were forced against the cotton of Itachi's trousers, and he curled his hand around the hardness there. The harsh gasp from above him was enough to tell Sasuke that he was dong the right thing, and he awkwardly tightened his grip a little.

Itachi's head fell forward slightly, and his hand dropped from his brother's; glad to feel it stay in place. He gasped as tiny rivulets of pleasure trickled through his spine. 'Gods…Sasuke,' he breathed, relishing in how the name fell from his mouth so easily. '…You. Only you can do this to me.' He watched Sasuke nod in agreement, and flinched as those small fingers tightened, sending another wave of pleasure through his nerves. Sasuke smiled, and gave his brother a resounding stroke through the confinements of his clothing. The body above him jerked slightly into his hand, but quickly stopped. Itachi pushed the hand in his groin away, and leaned down to Sasuke's level. 'Tell me, _Sasuke_…' he whispered, enjoying the shiver that ran through the lithe body at his voice. '…do I have the same effect on you?'

His long fingers scratched teasingly on the boy's groin, running slowly up and down before finding the zipper. Sasuke's lips trembled as he struggled to contain the moan. '…yes.'

'What was that, Sasuke?' He said, ignoring his brother's answer completely. Sasuke bit his lip as his zipper was pulled down, the fabric of his trousers parting slightly to accommodate the hand that was slowly moving inside. 'Yes, Itachi – you…have the same effect on me.'

Itachi smiled, 'I know I do – otherwise _this_ wouldn't be so hard and hot, would it?' He emphasised his words by gripping the flesh suddenly; his hand now touching burning-hot skin beneath the covers of underwear and trousers.

'Nngh…it might be too much for you, _Nisan_.' Sasuke panted out, smirking at their verbal banter. However, the smile quickly faded as that wonderful hand stopped moving. He writhed furiously, trying to increase that friction that was driving him mad with desire, but all at a futile attempt. Itachi leaned in slightly to his brother's pale neck, and bit it just below the ear for Sasuke's impudence. Sasuke yelped in surprise.

'You should watch that mouth of yours Otouto,' he sensually licked at the earlobe, soothing the bite marks that burned a glaring red. 'You would never be too much for me; I'll always crave this body of yours, and no-one else's.' He smiled as he once again gripped at the hard flesh and stroked rhythmically, watching as the boy's fists tightened into his sides. 'You're beautiful, so small and warm and perfect. And you know what Sasuke?'

Sasuke's back twisted against the sharp pieces of glass on the floor as his muscles convulsed with pleasure. Just the sound of that ushered voice greeting his ears was enough to make him want to scream out in delight. He struggled to form an answer in his tight throat. 'Nnngh, aah – w-what…' he whimpered, and threw his arms around his brother's neck as the conintinous stroking and squeezing continued to build. His thighs shivered and tightened under the strain of such pleasure, and a layer of sweat began to shine on his forehead and cheeks.

'You're all mine, baby-brother.'

Sasuke gave another high-pitched mewl as the hand quickened, moving up and down faster and with more irregularity.

'…all mine to touch,'

He couldn't breath properly now. His lungs felt as though they were on fire – and no air wanted to escape through his mouth or nose. His lips parted and ached for a kiss which the older was so denying him of.

'…all mine to toy with,'

Yes. He was a toy, he was a toy in his brother's hands and he wouldn't want it to be any other way. '…_please_…' Itachi could play with him until he broke – and he would love him for it. '_Please…ah-aniki – more…' _His stomach tightened as a white-hot feeling began to soar through his body. His toes curled and his head reeled unbearably – he couldn't breathe – couldn't think – didn't want to do anything but enjoy the moment while it lasted – increasing – building – faster – -

'…and all mine to _fuck with_.'

Sasuke cried out his orgasm as his trembling skin convulsed and released. Tears streamed from his closed eyes as the spasms in his legs and groin continued; his body rocking with that hand that was so heavenly stroking him through the moment of sheer bliss, guiding him to completion, before finally, the warm, white liquid splashed onto his chest. 'Iii…Itachiiii…' He moaned, his eyes remaining closed as he lay on the floor. 'I…I love…love you.'

Itachi's scarlet eyes were hazy with lust as he watched the orgasm tear through the small body. His own erection was craving friction, and he lightly brushed his free hand against his clothed groin. Somehow, his own hand didn't feel as good as Sasuke's. He stroked himself and his brother in sync, and as he watched the boy reach the height of pleasure, he had to stop his hand in his groin. He didn't want to come just yet. Although he denied himself of release, the frustration his body screamed with only made him more determined to make the boy's orgasm his best, ever. Those mewls and whines and moans fell onto his ears, and fed that fire within him, until finally - the boy released, and shot white spurts of semen onto his chest.

'I know you love me, Sasuke,' he whispered, his voice straining with pleasure as his hand retracted from the boy's loosening erection. 'I know you do; but…' he pulled the sweat-soaked trousers and underwear down from his baby-brother's legs, and threw them aside. Sasuke shivered from the sudden rush of cold air, but didn't complain.

'…do you know how much _I _love _you_?'

Sasuke watched in silence, black eyes finally open, as Itachi pulled off his sandals and shoes. They too were thrown aside, landing somewhere on the floor. Now they were both naked from the waist down; and Sasuke flicked his eyes to his brother's stomach; the white vest falling just short of his navel, exposing plenty of skin, pristinely wrapped in bandages.

'Your chest,' the younger pointed out, examining the tiny specks of dried blood at the corners of the bandages. 'I thought you had broken your ribs…? How could you have walked here?'

'With great difficulty,' Itachi replied softly, running a hand through his own long hair that had long since fallen free from the ponytail. 'I had my ribs broken by someone - but while I was in prison they were treated by Tsunade's apprentices. They are practically healed thanks to her medicine, although I think that my escape may have jarred them slightly.' He glanced down at Sasuke, looking at the bandages that were also wrapped around the younger's chest, just poking out a little from underneath his black top.

'These bandages…' Itachi said gently, pushing the hem of the black shirt up slightly to have a better look. '…they were because of me…?'

Sasuke nodded once. 'Some plaster fell from the ceiling and landed straight on my chest; along with flames and ash and debris.' His black eyes showed hurt and disappointment, and Itachi found himself falling forward between his brother's legs. He gently laid his head on the white bandages around the abdomen and stomach, and kissed the covered skin. 'I'm sorry Sasuke, I'm sorry – I didn't _want_ you to get hurt, I didn't mean to hurt you…' Gently, he took one of the bandages between his teeth, and pulled lightly.

'Ah, Itachi – what…what are you doing?' Sasuke asked, as he felt the bandages around his stomach loosen. A quick glance up from the ground resulted in him moaning, and letting his head fall back down. The scene was erotic; there was no better word for it.

Itachi continued to nip at the unravelling bandages, his fingers stroking in a soothing way around the flesh that was slowly being revealed. Soon enough, the bandages were nothing more than a pile of white material on the floor, quickly absorbing the blood that had trickled from the edge of the table.

Sasuke could feel his legs being forced up over strong shoulders. He could feel the soft kisses being scattered on his jaw and neck. He could feel his shirt being pulled up over his head.

For once, Sasuke felt it all.

'Itachi,' he breathed, enjoying the worship that was being sprinkled over his skin. 'Please…I want you to take me, now.'

Sasuke's sudden boldness almost amused Itachi. The boy didn't want preparation or anymore foreplay? Hn, if he wanted it rough – then Itachi was only happy to comply. He gently lifted the delectably soft hips before him, and tilted them to a better angle.

In one thrust, he was fully inside. Finally.

Sasuke's voice erupted in a mixture of a scream, a plead for more, and a moan of pain and discomfort. Itachi kissed him briefly on the lips; sitting on his knees and leaning in to do – and drawing another moan from those pliant lips as the action pushed him deeper inside. 'Oh god…' Sasuke cried, clenching his teeth to try and ignore the pain that was spearing through his back and spine.

Itachi kissed him again, once on the lips, once on the forehead. He nuzzled his brother's hairline gently with his nose, and breathed in deeply. 'It's okay Sasuke, god, you're so…so…perfect, don't ever ask me to stop. Don't ever deny me; you're mine, ne?'

The string of words were forced and disconnected, but Sasuke couldn't help but reply. 'Mm, yours Nisan – all yours, don't ever stop, please….!!' By the end he was pleading, _begging_ to be taken. Just the rawness of feeling the stronger body above him moving deep and shallow in him, made him want to scream. He did, and to Itachi, it was beautiful.

Screams of pleasure can never compare to screams of the tortured or the dying, Itachi thought to himself as he thrust deeper. Tiny fragments of glass cut into his knees as he supported himself, holding the hips with a grip like iron as he fought off his nearing-orgasm. _Not yet. Not yet… _

Sasuke's hands reached up blindly to Itachi, wanting to feel him, to hold him and no that this was real. He didn't want to wake up from this amazing dream – he didn't want to know what others would think of him. He wanted Itachi to stay with him; to stay and love him like he knew he needed to be loved.

'Nngh, you're so brave Sasuke,' Itachi murmured, releasing one hand from the hip to massage the boy's scalp, running his fingers through the black hair almost violently. He noticed the tears streaming once again down the boy's cheeks, and his thrusts slowed down a little to lessen the pain. 'You're so brave; you're so perfect… but it's okay Sasuke,' his voice lowered to a whisper as he ran a finger across the boy's erection, gently cupping the arousal and stroking softly. 'You can let go; you can release it all, don't be scared.'

And, as Sasuke's hands finally wrapped themselves around the older's neck, he released for the second time that night, screaming out his pleasure with tears and cries that racked his body. Itachi wasn't far behind, and with a sigh, released into his baby-brother.

'Nisan – oh, god…' The boy whimpered as his brother's semen filled him; marking him as a possession carved with twisted love. And, in a bitter way, Sasuke knew he had never loved Itachi more.

For a while, they lay there in silence. No words needed to be spoken. Slowly, Itachi pulled himself from the small body, suddenly feeling so cold and empty without that warmth around him. More blood spilled onto the floor, adding to the puddle that was forming under the broken coffee table, with all the shards of broken glass.

Carefully, he gathered up the limp naked body of his baby-brother, and held him close to his chest. He knew by just looking at that flushed face and those flickering eyes that the boy needed to sleep, and with one graceful movement, he stood up from the ground; holding Sasuke in his arms. He hardly weighed anything, Itachi noticed as he walked out of the living room and back out into the corridor. He headed for what he presumed could be the bedroom, and found to his relief that it was. _This is the room where Sasuke sleeps… _

He headed towards the inviting single-bed, and with one hand, pushed back the covers. Sasuke's body slipped inside, head falling back onto the pillows and lips parting open slightly. He winced as his back touched the soft mattress, and Itachi bit his lip. Sasuke was hurt; Itachi had been too rough with him. The boy was fragile on the inside, and Itachi cursed himself silently for following his passion and lust in the heat of the moment.

He looked at his brother; sleeping quietly in the bed. It was only a single bed, but Itachi knew that he wanted to hold that tiny form and warm his skin. Inching his way around the bed, he lowered himself onto the plush duvet, and pulled the covers up around their naked bodies. Sasuke's back pushed lightly onto Itachi's chest, and he buried his face into the raven spikes, breathing in deeply.

It wasn't long before they were both asleep; bodies aching with fatigue and minds reeling with the start of their relationship…a _new_ relationship. A _loving_ relationship.

A relationship that Itachi knew was _destined_ to be doomed from the start.

* * *

TBC… 

_Next Chapter: Itachi tells Sasuke exactly why he was on the run from the Akatsuki, and although questions are answered, new worries and fears begin to stir. _

Okay. That was by far the longest lemon I have ever written. I don't know if it _'did the job' _well, but, that's what I want to find out from your reviews. I'm still an amateur when it comes to lemons; and actually, this was the first I have ever written in third person! Aah! Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I tried a bit of everything; suspense, horror, romance, all that jazz. Let me know if you think it was alright! xx

(Clickie the nice purple button beneath this. ;D)


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

And I don't want the world to see me,

I just don't think that they'd understand.

When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know…

…who I am.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_The room was unusually dark and damp. The small puddles of mildew on the floor shimmered as they reflected the light from the torches on the wall. Orange flames shone out into the darkness, lighting the way as Itachi made his way along the stone tiles. Tatami mats weren't necessary down here; all they'd do would soak up the damp vapour in the air and fester silently away. Down here, out of sight. In the dark._

_Festering. That horrible process was going on deep inside Itachi's mind and heart. He should be trying to forget memories and feelings that dared to stir in his head...so why, __**why **__could he do nothing but remember them? _

_Sasuke... the baby brother left home alone when his aniki slaughtered the clan. _

_Sasuke... the one who cried when he scraped his knees, and smiled when he received a kiss to make it better. _

'_Sasuke...' Itachi spoke the name aloud, stopping his movements as he approached the old looking bookcase at the far end of the room. With slender fingers, he traced the spines of the ancient documents; bound together with ribbons and seals. _

'_I'm doing this for you...'_

_Violet fingernails scratched lightly at the wooden surface of the bookcase's side. He trailed his hand lightly up and down it, as if relishing in the scratch. There was so much power concealed in those scrolls and books... so much forbidden material and so many secrets. _

'_I'm doing this...'_

_His hand grabbed at the spine of a book, and pulled it free from the shelf. A small cloud of dust billowed on its exit, the particles hanging limply in the air and catching the dim light for a moment, before falling slowly to the ground. _

'_...for us.'_

* * *

Itachi's black eyes opened with a few flickers of his eyelids. He slowly eased himself out of the warm embrace his body was cocooned in, feeling the arms on his chest drop a little as he moved to sit up; back leaning against the headboard.

'Mm…m-Itachi?' Sasuke mumbled in his sleep, eyes slowly opening to reveal pupils clouded slightly with exhaustion. 'Itachi...you…are you okay?' He propped his body up slightly, the duvet over his naked body slipping down a little to pool at his lap.

'I'm…I'm fine,' Itachi said, leaning back against the wooden headboard in a sitting position. His mind reeled with the memories and dreams; both of them mingling in his head and resulting in a feeling none to similar to nausea. He glanced down at Sasuke, who was now fully awake, and crawling into his lap. He smiled as the younger boy sat with his back to Itachi's chest, nestled inbetween his parted legs. The delicate skin of Sasuke's body brushed against his thighs, and he gently placed his calloused hand onto the boy's stomach, slightly paler from where the bandages had been wrapped.

Itachi inhaled deeply as Sasuke leant against him, his nose nuzzling into raven spikes that brushed softly against his face. 'How are you this morning, Otouto?' He asked, squeezing the boy's shoulders in a mock-massage.

'Nn, I'm okay,' he replied sleepily, head falling slightly to one side as his muscles relaxed at the special treatment. '...but how are you, Ni-san?'

Itachi blinked. 'What do you mean?' He asked, continuing to rub the boy's shoulders. '...your forehead – last night, I, I attacked you – I'm so sorry...' Sasuke's head hung a little as if in embarrassment, and his apology trailed off to a whisper.

'It's okay, Sasuke,' Itachi began, stroking the soft skin of the boy's chest under his fingertips. 'You didn't mean it; you thought I was an intruder asking personal questions... _too_ personal perhaps. You attacked out of desperation, not out of murderous-intent.'

Sasuke nodded slowly. 'But...I still hurt you; the blood – there was so much of it – how could you have...have...'

' – had sex with you?' Itachi smiled, kissing the top of his brother's head gently. He tilted Sasuke's face to one side; stroking a slender finger across a blush-induced cheek. 'It wasn't a serious injury Otouto; you _saw_ blood, but only because you had never seen it before, did you think to yourself that it was a lot. It was the shock more than anything,' he lifted a finger to the bloodied wound on his brow. 'See? It's healing as we speak. And besides...' His fingers stroked the soft cheek before he placed a soft kiss on Sasuke's nose. 'I feel like I can do anything when I'm with you.'

Sasuke smiled; nodding slightly in understanding. He leant back against Itachi's chest, feeling the soft thudding of the heartbeat shallow against his spine. It was reassuring; like a soft metronome.

But, underlying all the gentle caresses; of Itachi's fingertips, of his warm breath stirring Sasuke's hair and neck, of the simple _being_ behind him... there was something twisted. Something writhed in Sasuke's heart; something maddening and guilt-ridden. Only one word deep inside his head made itself known in a shuddering whisper: ...hatred.

Hatred. Sasuke had never hated Itachi... he'd...he'd _tried_ to – but it was a failed attempt. Yes, there had of course been times when he _had_ truly hated Itachi: when he left him after the massacre, when he left him alone – with no-one.

That was a form of hatred, which, as with every other emotion Sasuke held towards towards his brother – faded away under the gentle tips of those fingertips.

Lust. Love. Carnal desire. Where was the thin line that separated those feelings – those _urges? _Sasuke wasn't sure. He knew that the relationship with his brother had been suppressed for far too long. The love he had felt for Itachi was unusually strong when he was a child – and now, in his teens, it was bursting to the surface. But...what of Itachi? He obviously felt some kind of love towards him, otherwise he wouldn't have kissed him, touched him, _slept_ with him.

'...Itachi?'

'Mm?' He murmured into the boy's hair, hands still stroking gently at the boy's stomach.

'...thank you.'

Itachi's hands moved from the flesh of the chest, to the boy's small back; feeling the bone of the shoulder blades between his fingers. ''Thank you?'' He rubbed at the flesh of the boy's spine. 'What for?'

'For coming here…seeing me again.'

Sasuke wriggled out of the embrace and turned to face Itachi. The black eyes above him were strangely devoid of emotion, and Sasuke couldn't help but bite his lip. Itachi hadn't looked like that at all last night…his eyes had sparkled and glinted with nearly every emotion possible…why the sudden change now?

'Itachi,' he began, watching as the eyes focused on his own as he spoke. 'What's wrong? Don't lie to me – I know you too well.'

'Hn, maybe you do,' Itachi replied, smiling a bit as Sasuke pouted in annoyance. He gently lifted his hand and ran it through Sasuke's hair; brushing those rebellious strands free from the dark eyes. Itachi knew that if he stared into those eyes for too long, he'd lose himself in them. They were dark, deep and endless; mysterious, beautiful – far more so than the sharingan eyes; which only shone with rage and anger and murderous cravings.

He was torn from his thoughts when his hand was suddenly grabbed in smaller, softer ones, and pulled between their two bodies. Sasuke looked intently at the metal ring, shining on the lone finger. He twirled it around the digit, feeling the coolness of the silver against his own finger and thumb.

'This is from the…Akatsuki?' He asked slowly, reading the kanji that read 'bloody' on the middle of the ring. Itachi nodded. 'Hai, every member received one, along with a cloak aswell. They were means of our belonging. We dressed in certain clothes to prove that we were members, if you understand what I mean.'

Sasuke nodded slowly. 'Were you…an important member?'

Itachi didn't answer; and instead, pulled his hand away from the grasp, watching Sasuke flinch at the sudden action before he pulled the ring off of his finger.

The sound of metal striking wooden floorboards resounded throughout the room, and Sasuke could only watch as the glinting ring rolled along the floor, before coming to a stop.

'I don't want to be associated with them any longer,' Itachi spoke bitterly, flexing the hand that was now free of the metal burden. 'To think that I went and joined them of my own accord…thinking they would strengthen my power…'

Sasuke tentatively ran a hand down his brother's naked chest, following the line that led from throat to navel, feeling the soft vibrations of his voice and the gentle rise and fall of his lungs. '…why didn't you stay with them then?' He asked, leaning forward and closing the little distance between them by wrapping his arms around the elder's waist. 'If they were powerful, and _could_ help you – why leave?'

Itachi paused before answering. 'It's...not so easy to explain Otouto,' he began, taking a deep breath as his fingers continued to comb through the boy's hair. 'Power...it's not in the form of organizations, rings, cloaks or even membership. Power is something that you only realise you have, once you obtain it. Say, for example, that I became one of them. My membership doesn't give me free reign to the powerful items and documents that they already have at the time. When I realise that my power and strength isn't increasing with the time spent with them – I decide on my own to take matters into my own hands.'

'...by looking at their documents.' Sasuke breathed slowly against his brother's chest, taking all of the new information in.

'Exactly.'

* * *

x-x-x

* * *

'_Itachi?'_

_A voice. A deep, masculine voice resounded throughout the damp room, making Itachi flinch slightly. The book was still in his hand – unopened. 'What are you doing down here? This is off limits to us. You know that already.' _

_Itachi turned slowly to face the man behind him; the glowing torch light reflecting from the surface of his now crimson eyes. _

'_What are you doing with that book? That's secret stuff there, belonging to the Leader –'_

'—_I'm leaving, Kisame.' _

_Silence. _

'_You're...you're __**what**__? You can't join us, steal our supplies and then just __**leave**__!'_

_Itachi shifted slightly from one foot to another, as if impatient. In all honesty, he was. This was taking too long. Get in, get the book, get out. The plan was simple...and in the end, it was the simplicity that had ruined it. He hadn't thought that another member would try and stop him from leaving. He hadn't __**considered**__ the possibilities that maybe, just maybe, something about his plan could go wrong. _

'_Kisame...' he began, taking a step to the side; with the book still held tightly in his hand. 'I'm...I have to leave – It's not simple to...to expla--!!'_

_Itachi staggered backwards with a sharp cry, the book falling from his grasp with a loud thud as it struck the floor. His free hand clutched at his chest as raw pain shocked through his body; spreading through his abdomen and each individual rib. _

_Kisame slowly pulled his outstretched arm back to his side; his writhing sword following him. He smirked as the teen fell backwards; his sword colliding with the boy's chest. The cracking of bone was easily heard above the strangled cry. _

'_So obnoxious.' Kisame spat out with disgust as kicked at the old book, sending it skidding in a flutter of paper pages to one side of the room. 'Uchiha brats and their __**ideas**__... You'll die before I let you leave here Itachi.' _

_Itachi sighed, still finding a small smile to show from behind the pain. He wiped the back of his hand across his lips, staring blankly at the small trickle of crimson that now stained his knuckles. _

'_No, Kisame,' he breathed shallowly, the pain beginning to cascade through his throat and lungs. 'If anyone will die tonight...' _

_Itachi closed his eyes in thought, before snapping them open. They hurt, oh gods did they hurt – but before he knew it, he had ensnared Kisame is a brief paralysis jutsu with the sharingan. The sharingan settling in his eyes seemed to work on its own; automatically. His scarlet eyes had a mind of their own – a mind filled with torture and regret and power. _

_He stepped up to the large, frozen body of Kisame – watching his white eyes dilate suddenly in realising. _

'_...it will be you.' _

* * *

_x-x-x_

* * *

'So you...killed him?'

Itachi nodded. 'I couldn't have got out of there otherwise. It was... necessary.'

Sasuke's mouth opened slightly to speak again – but his words were suddenly cut off. A loud piercing drill resounded from the hallway of the apartment. The telephone was ringing.

Sasuke looked briefly at Itachi, before he moved to get out of the warm embrace He was about to climb off the bed, when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He glanced at Itachi questiongly.

'Let it ring,' he said, so quietly that the incessant droning of the phone in the hall almost drowned out his ushered words. Sasuke froze in his position, one leg now on the cold wooden floor and one still on the duvet, bent underneath him. The hand remained on his shoulder, with slender fingers stroking his skin, memorizing the curve of his bone and flesh. That was when Sasuke realised. Realised, that that little request Itachi had just asked of him, was infact so much more.

Itachi was pleading.

And, Sasuke knew he couldn't defy.

As if reading his mind, Itachi's lips were suddenly on the naked form, tantalizingly moving against the boy's jaw and neck, leading a winding trail where his hands soon fell. The phone's monotone ringing finally stopped, and clicked onto Sasuke's home-answering machine. 'Leave a message after the tone.' The mechanical voice stated on loud speaker; allowing Sasuke and his groping brother to hear it from in the bedroom.

'Sasuke, it's Tsunade here –'

Both Sasuke and Itachi froze.

'…I'm just ringing up to tell you a little more on the information I received about the corpses found on the edge of Stone Country; you remember the ones I spoke to you about the other day? Well, I went there this morning to perform an autopsy on one of the seemingly-unharmed victims. I can tell you that what I found…was rather shocking.'

Sasuke angrily pushed at the body atop him, trying to prise the hands from his shoulders –pinning him down to the duvet– so as to go and reach the phone before Tsunade hung up. 'Don't,' Itachi hissed, struggling to hold the teen as he fought to get to the telephone. 'I need to speak to her,' Sasuke whispered back, body tensing up as soft lips landed on his throat. '…no you don't.'

'When we dissected the body – that's the torso, arms, legs and abdomen – we found nothing out of the ordinary. It was when we decided that maybe further dissection was needed, that we struck a problem.'

'Itachi-!! Let. Me. Go –' Sasuke furiously pushed again at the restraining body, now sitting upon his hips and weighing him down further into the mattress. 'Why?!' Itachi replied angrily, 'You can't tell her that I'm here – in your _bed_ of all places.'

Sasuke bit his lip.

'…it was the eyes of the victim, Sasuke. The eyes were…were completely _burnt_ on the insides. The eyeballs themselves had been burnt away, and were no longer fixed to the skull and muscles. The inner pupils had been blinded, and all colour had faded from the iris…I've never seen anything like this before, not in all my years in the medical field.'

Itachi tensed suddenly, and Sasuke glared up at him. 'What did you do to them?!'

Itachi remained silent.

'...we believe that this was the result of an eye-targeted jutsu – obviously from Itachi's sharingan. I don't know how it works, or even how it manifests... but it's serious. The jutsu is unbelievably powerful, Sasuke, so for God's sake – just be careful. I'll call you again soon.'

A single click ended the message; letting silence reign over the bedroom where Sasuke lay; pinned down by his brother on his hips. He moaned at the tight hands clutching at his shoulders, and felt relieved when the fingers withdrew themselves from his flesh.

'Sorry...' Itachi murmured, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on the tiny half-moon marks on the boy's shoulder. He lapped up the small trail of blood seeping from the injury. 'I didn't mean to hurt you – I just, just couldn't let you speak to her. Not yet. Not when I'm here, in your house.'

'But surely it would have been _less_ suspicious for me to have answered?' Sasuke angrily replied, although he could already feel his anger diminishing under the sweet touch of the tongue on his shoulder. In his mind, Itachi was already forgiven.

Itachi shrugged. 'Maybe...but still, I _am _on the run, Sasuke, don't forget that.' He gently stroked Sasuke's face with his knuckles as he spoke.

Both brothers remained silent. The sudden realisation struck Sasuke like a lightning bolt. This relationship with Itachi; this moment of lying in bed, naked, with him atop him, _wasn't_ a fairytale. This wasn't a dream. Itachi was a criminal – had killed possibly hundreds of people, had escaped from prison... he was most likely wanted dead. ANBU were out looking for the S-ranked criminal; who happened to be lying between damp sheets with his younger brother.

'I have to get out of here Sasuke. If I stay here – in one place for too long – they'll catch up to me.'

Sasuke's heart froze in his chest. 'But – but you can't leave me, not now! I won't let you disappear again from my life!' Angrily he pushed himself up from the bed, palms on the mattress; swatting the hand stroking his cheek away from his body. His lips landed forcefully on his brother's in a fierce kiss, tongue immediately finding its way into Itachi's mouth – meeting no resistance.

And how _could_ Itachi resist? When something felt so heavenly – even when violent and harsh with teeth nipping at lips – when something felt so _right?_ It wasn't fair to force such situations on his Otouto, he _knew_ that... but what else could they do? Their relationship was turbulent – so needing and wanting and _loving_...it was consuming both of them. Hatred forged love; lust forged compassion. All that mattered...were the two of them.

Itachi sighed into the warm mouth, wetly attached onto his; ignoring the cold strings of saliva that fell from the corner of his mouth to trickle to his chin. Sasuke's eyelashes fluttered against the bridge of his nose as their faces pressed impossibly close; a closeness that Itachi couldn't help but feel secure in. _This _was comfort. _This_ was security for the S-classed Nin; simply being in the arms of his younger brother, warm skin against his cold flesh.

His fingertips found their way to Sasuke's shoulder, lightly touching the skin in a way that felt like butterfly wings brushing his skin. He traced the fine contour of bone and flesh, before stroking upwards to the boy's slender neck. A few light presses, and Itachi could feel the racing pulse beneath his forefinger; a soft, steady beat that was driven by arousal and desperation.

The kiss was lighted with moans from both brothers; Sasuke's whimpers and Itachi's sighs - flowing seamlessly between their lips in hot puffs of breath. Itachi eyes closed as he pushed ever so slightly onto the hot, hard pulse in Sasuke's neck, beating faster at the sudden pressure.

Sasuke's own eyes slid shut, and, with a gentle moan that sounded uncanningly similar to Itachi's name, he fell onto the soft mattress and duvets – unconscious.

Itachi's hand remained on the boy's throat, and only when those dark eyes failed to open, did he slowly unfurl his fingers from the now still pulse.

Because Itachi knew, that for his sake and his little-brother's, this was the best thing. Because Itachi knew that he was doing his brother no good by getting him caught up in situations that didn't concern him.

Because Itachi was used to running to away from his problems.

Because Itachi had left so many people dead.

And he wouldn't let Sasuke be one of them.

* * *

TBC...

_Gah! I'm sorry for the late update – I've had such bad writer's block. I apologise; my enthusiasm for this story is lagging slightly...I think that I would quickly end it if it weren't for you readers. I hope that you're enjoying it – I know that this chapter sucked majorly. I'm not happy with the way it turned out at all...but forgive me. My inspiration muse has gone on a vacation to some place nice and warm – the Caribbean I think. _

_Onto other news! I hope you all had a good Christmas break! It was actually my 15__th__ birthday on the 4__th__ of Jan – so I have been very busy and have thus not updated so quickly. I'm a procrastinator. Bleh. _

_Next Chapter: Sasuke's getting all the answers from his brother – but at a price? It seems that way when he wakes up alone, with only a note from Itachi explaining his leave. Tsunade's personal suspicions of the brothers are proved when she finds them both...together, late one night. Is such a doomed love, destined to fail? _


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N::**

Wow, this chapter is very very long. But in my opinion, I think it might be one of the best so far. I think it makes up for the lack of interesting things that have happened in the story recently. Enjoy!

* * *

_Now I know I will make it, There will be a time. _

_We'll get back our freedom,_

_They can't fake what's inside._

* * *

**Chapter 8**

For a brief moment, as Sasuke looked beside him, head still resting on his pillow, eyes barely open – he imagined what it would be like to wake up with Itachi next to him. His hand reached out and stroked the corner of the pillow next to his face. His fingers toyed with the lacy edge, imagining it to be his brother's long hair, splaying out beside him like black ink against white parchment.

His other hand made its way to his cheek; running his forefinger down the side of his face, jaw, chin, lips. No longer his own finger that gently brushed against his bruised mouth, but Itachi's. Itachi's finger that dipped in slightly. Itachi's _everything_ that surrounded him in that lovely cold embrace.

Cold? No, Itachi's embrace would be warm – comforting.

Sasuke's eyes reluctantly blinked away the picture his mind had created. It was his own finger that he withdrew away from his lips. Only a pillow's embroidered edge that he had imagined to be long black hair.

It was only a desire for something that simply _wasn't_ there.

Still, Sasuke couldn't help pushing himself up from bed, his head aching mercilessly at the movement. The duvet was underneath his body; and he suddenly remembered it all. He had been kissing him...had been trying to get him to stay...what then? Darkness? Sleep? His fingers moved to his neck, rubbing at the sore muscles, not expecting to suddenly gasp in pain when he pushed hard against a bruise he didn't realise he had.

He gently pressed it with his fingertips. Roughly the size of finger itself; the bruise was painful – fresh. Sasuke suddenly realised what Itachi had done.

"Itachi?" He called out quietly, as if expecting an answer. He knew he wouldn't get one.

"...Itachi...?" And yet, there was some reason that Sasuke felt the urge to say his brother's name. He didn't know what it was...he only knew that the cursed name fell so easily from his lips.

"...Itachi..."

The fool. The foolish big brother. Always so selfish, always so...predictable. Sasuke scoffed, trying to ignore the terrible feeling of loneliness and disappointment gathering in his gut. He couldn't dwell on feeling sad and miserable; not when Itachi was still out there. Not when Tsunade was awaiting him to ring back and speak to her. Not when he picked up on the slight _tone_ her voice had held when she had warned him to be careful around Itachi...

He kicked the duvet aside, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The smell of sweat and sex was still lingering in the duvet and sheets; the smell of Itachi, hanging heavy in the air. Sasuke sighed, and stepped onto the cold floor; his bare feet almost stinging at the sudden use. He pulled the curtains back from his window, letting in bright sunlight. How long had he been unconscious? Glancing briefly at his watch, he almost fell back down onto his bed in utter shock.

2:30pm?! Afternoon already...

He sighed, unconsciously touching the purple bruise on the nape of his neck. He rubbed it gently with his fingertips, revelling in the numb ache that spread through his muscles.

Shaking the thought of Itachi from his head, he let his hand fall slowly back to his side.

_So, meeting Tsunade today._He thought to himself, reasoning that speaking to her face to face would probably arouse less suspicion than just a phone call. He glanced down at his naked chest, observing the slightly murky substance that had dried onto his skin with a raised eyebrow.

'A shower first then,' he muttered, before heading over to his bathroom.

* * *

'I'm here to meet Tsunade,' Sasuke began, speaking to the masked guard infront of the door to the Hokage's office. 'She rang me this morning, I was just –' _kissing my brother. __Letting my brother pleasure me.__ Letting Itachi – the criminal you're all searching for – touch my body to the point that all I could do was shiver and cry for him. _' – busy. I thought I'd come and see her in person.'

The ANBU nodded, before opening up the door. He remained silent as Sasuke stepped inside, and then closed it gently behind him. The latch clicked shut with definite 'click'.

So, that was the brother to Itachi, eh? He thought to himself, taking his stance by the door once again. The little brother... seemingly so different from his murderous sibling...Aren't brothers supposed to have similar traits, behaviour; personality?

What's to stop the boy, Sasuke, becoming like Itachi? The path of avenging his dead family... of proclaiming to _want_ to kill his brother – it _all_ seemed so murderous.

The ANBU sighed, shifting his weight slightly from one foot to the other. He had been there when the Uchiha Massacre had first been discovered. He had been one of the few (brave enough?) to enter those eerily quiet streets; to roam through those desolate houses; to gaze with blank eyes upon the litter of corpses that seemed to be anywhere and _everywhere_ he looked. It seemed like all hell has broken loose on that night.

He shuddered, and reasserted himself. Even still, he couldn't help but think... if Itachi was out; free of shackles and chakra-absorbing ropes... what was to stop him from corrupting another clan again?

Little did the ANBU know, as he stood next to the large oak door that concealed the Hokage and the young Uchiha, that he was partly right. Itachi _was_ corrupting something – but this time, his crimson sight wasn't set on a thing so trivial as a clan. No, Itachi had something _else_ in mind.

* * *

When Sasuke arrived home from visiting Tsunade, he was exhausted. His head was reeling with the new information he had received; seeing those graphically horrible pictures of the corpses' burnt out eyes... having vivid descriptions of the victims to his brother's jutsu...

He breathed heavily as he shut the front door of his apartment behind him, wanting nothing more than to collapse against it in sheer fatigue. But he didn't. He had things he needed to do.

Pushing himself reluctantly up from the door, he stepped down his corridor, heading first for the living room. He let his knuckles drag lightly on the wall as he walked; liking the feeling of the rough paintwork against his skin – and for a moment, he remembered pinning the ANBU – Itachi – up against it.

_'Next question…' The anbu said, watching for a confirming nod from the younger boy before continuing. '…when you grew up with Itachi, did you ever…wish that you could…be something more than just brothers?'_

Angrily, Sasuke threw his fist onto the wall. A small dent cracked out like a spider, growing hundreds of tiny legs as the cracks splintered through the paint. _Control your temper, Sasuke_, he muttered to himself. _Control your bloody temper... _

He forced his legs to continue walking. Trying not to think on how immaculate – how totally _foolproof_ his brother's disguise had been. It was perfect.

_' –__ he was just…perfect. Like a best friend, he was just always there for me…I…I love__d him. You wouldn't understand...'_

Walking into the living room, Sasuke was met with a sight that made his legs tremble slightly.

The broken coffee table was lying in between the leather couches; now just a mass of cracked glass and woodwork. It all sat there, glinting, beckoning Sasuke to come oh so closer, because that was where he had _injured_ his brother. Sasuke took a step forward. To him, his footsteps seemed strangely distant...not so _there_. Those horribly true words seemed to echo around him as he neared the site of destruction.

_'__Agh__ – w-what are you -? Let me go!'_

_Fingers tightened, voices tightened._

_'__**Shut up!' **__Itachi shouted angrily. 'You've got it all wrong – you don't know him at all!'_

_Nails dug in savagely._

_'How would you know?!__**You mean **__**nothing**__** to me**__! Let me go!!'_

_'**I mean everything ****to you**!!'_

'...Get out of my head,' Sasuke spoke aloud, almost a whisper as the memories of the previous night refused to leave him be. The memories lay shattered in the shards that twinkled on the floor; in the dried blood that has been smeared by long, hot fingers across the glass surface.

Those fingers. God, Sasuke couldn't help but remember then. How they felt, travelling almost hesitantly across his skin. Spreading little remnants of his own essence across his stomach...

That night was so bitterly wonderful.

Forcing himself to snap out of his trance-like state, Sasuke cautiously stepped around the biggest glass shards. On the ground, far away from him, they looked okay. They looked safe. But, one tiny slip of the foot; one little movement too far to one side – and they could embed themselves silently into flesh. At first, it had surprised him how he could have had sex with his brother amongst all those pieces of razor sharp fragments... but when he had taken a shower earlier on, all surprise has disappeared rather quickly.

Long scars had drawn themselves across his back; some nearly reaching over his shoulder. It was to be expected though; after all, his body had rocked back and forth on the floor that night – thus scissoring the glass deeper and deeper into his back. Most of the pieces were easy enough to get out. He had pulled them out with his fingertips and dropped them onto the shower floor; watching them swirl in the water for a second or two, before vanishing down the plughole.

He looked once again at the mess of blood, glass and random splatters of semen that littered his living room floor. He had avoided tidying it up before seeing Tsunade...

Not that that did any good...going to see her was a waste of time. He could have been out...searching for Itachi – rather than hearing how the victims of Itachi's attack were left with their eyeballs naught but ash.

Still, he needed to clear any suspicion from when he hadn't answered the phone. Using the excuse that he 'was in the shower and simply didn't hear the phone ring', was believable, and as far as Sasuke could tell, Tsunade had bought every bit of it. It was lucky, and Sasuke knew that.

Picking up the biggest shards of glass, he gently collected them into the palm of his hand. They clinked together in his hand as he walked over to his kitchen, and tossed them casually into the bin. The sound of glass hitting the bottom seemed to echo around the white, spotless kitchen - so clean, so damn tidy compared to the bloodied living room.

He knew he'd have to clean up all that blood. It had most likely stained the wooden floor, and the table was pretty much destroyed; well, at least one side of it – the other was almost immaculate, aside from a few splintering cracks marring the opaque surface. But the blood... it lay in a crusted puddle on top of the surface; congealed in thin drips hanging like some kind of demonic icicle.

And where was the person whose blood stained his living room? Where was the person that had held him, touched him – made him feel for the first time in his life?

He was gone. He was fucking gone – and Sasuke cursed himself for not expecting it.

'Agghh!' He screamed, punching the wall in anger; loving the burning in his knuckles, taking his mind off his fury for a brief moment. His fist crashed into the white plaster wall again. Again. And again – until his attention turned to the pile of plates, lying beside the metal sink.

The first one crashed to the floor with a sharp ceramic clash. 'I hate you!' Another plate fell to the floor. 'You. Always. LEAVE ME!' Another scream, another sudden jerk of the arm to throw a plate to the floor. 'I shouldn't care about you!! This – this... is killing me...'

His words trailed off in sudden exhaustion – his outburst and anger had drained him completely. His knees wobbled, and his legs gave way, sending him sprawling to the kitchen floor. The final plate in his hand fell to the ground with a faint clatter.

Burying his head in his hands, Sasuke couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to the man who had so suddenly caused his outburst. The man who he loved. The man who was his own brother...

'...it hurts doesn't it...? I know it does...'

A soft voice spoke gently in his ear, reassuring – like summer's breeze; warm and comforting.

'You've made a mess of your kitchen... foolish boy, your anger really does blaze...like pure fire – untamed... uncontrollable...'

Sasuke moaned, wanting to believe this person was here- wanting to believe that the lips on his ear, the tongue on his neck, were real.

Unconsciously, he stretched his neck a little further, revealing his skin to the person's lips – moving sensually against the exposed flesh, so soft, so tender.

'Fire... our Clan's special ability – strengthened and tamed and controlled through the ages... but you know what they say, right Sasuke? Play with fire...'

The hot breath felt closer, so much closer – fluttering against his lips like the wings of butterflies. Sasuke found himself wanting to lean forward – wanting to kiss and capture those treacherous lips just to confirm this horrible dream-like feeling.

'...and you're going to get burned.'

The lips didn't smile, didn't smirk. They just remained there – hovering gently above Sasuke's own. His eyes were closed, but were flickering restlessly under the eyelids, wanting to open, but at the same time not. He spoke for the first time to the presence before him: '...Itachi? This... is a dream.'

Again, a hot puff of breath exhaled from the person infront of him; almost like a quiet sigh.

Sasuke couldn't help but flinch as a cold hand touched his cheek; the pad of a thumb caressing his blushing cheekbone. Without a doubt, he knew that this wasn't a dream. Maybe it was the sheer extent of confirming to the fact that yes, his brother was his...his lover? It sounded so strange to phrase it that way – but in any case, it was probably the truth. He didn't want to open his eyes to the fact that he was in love in with his family's murderer.

'This is your reality, Sasuke, not a dream. In a dream, in a fairytale, the good guys always win. The prince and the princess live happily ever after – but in reality...'

The fingers paused their stroking of Sasuke's face, and trailed down to the corner of his lips, gently probing at the slight indent.

'...things are quite different. In your reality I'm here, crouching before you. I'm here to love you, to hold you again like I did last night. In your reality – there's bound to be a happy ending, no matter what.'

'N-no... I know it's not – not possible,' Sasuke muttered, lifting a hand up to clutch at the one brushing his lips. He held the hand still, nuzzling his face against the soft warm palm. 'But I want to have you while I... while I can. This is killing me – having you and then waking up to find that you're not there. It... hurts.'

'...I know it does. But – if you want me, you'll have to open your eyes...' He leaned in closer, his hot lips resting on Sasuke's hand, holding onto his own thin fingers.

'...and look at me.'

Almost reluctantly, his eyes fluttered open, and just as he had predicted, Itachi was crouching merely centimetres before him. Those fiery lips were on the back of his hand; their noses touching gently as his hand was kissed. His chest tightened as those scarlet eyes flickered up to meet his own; black comma-like pupils twisting a little as they filled with emotion.

'There,' Itachi muttered as he lifted his damp lips from the lithe hand. He leaned in slightly to place a kiss on Sasuke's nose. ' – that wasn't too hard was it?'

Sasuke shook his head. '...no, it wasn't,' he smiled. 'I've just been enjoying your company so much – when you're finally here with me, it doesn't feel so wrong.' Copying Itachi's actions, he carefully kissed the fingertips that he held closely against his face. His tongue slyly licked at the warm palm.

Itachi moaned lightly in the back of his throat, watching as his little brother licked and kissed at his hand in a kitten-like manner. Unwillingly, he slowly pulled his slick hand away from the feverish tongue.

'If it feels so good, then...' He paused, before sealing Sasuke's hot lips in an open-mouthed kiss; wet and simply intoxicating. Itachi's lips tingled as he felt the younger's breath cascade down his throat.

When they finally broke apart, wet strands of saliva still connected their lips – but Itachi didn't move far. His lips were brushing teasingly against Sasuke's – retaining that warmth and heat that neither brother wanted to lose – when he finally whispered the words he had been rehearsing all day, ever since he had left Sasuke unconscious that night:

'Run away with me.'

* * *

Sasuke blinked, the smile that had been lifting the corners of his lips suddenly vanishing. 'Run...away...?' 

Itachi nodded, placing a hand on the boy's side and rubbing gently through the t-shirt fabric. 'That's right. Run away with me Sasuke. Leave this place – all these people who don't understand us – just leave them all behind. Come and live with me. We can start anew – a whole new start, with just the two of us! It would be...'

'...perfect.'

'Exactly,' Itachi confirmed, ignoring the fact that those adorably black eyes had greyed slightly in thought. He knew that it was a big choice to make...but he knew that whatever Sasuke said, he'd have to go along with it. Sure, he wanted Sasuke to live with him – but he wouldn't take him by force. At least...he hoped he wouldn't.

'Aniki – this is...I mean – could we do that? Could we just turn around and leave? Where would we g—'

A finger touched his lips; silencing him.

'I know, you have questions, right Otouto? Well, I'm prepared to answer them. I'm ready to answer everything.'

Sasuke remained stunned. Itachi had already told him how he had tried to leave Akatsuki – and had killed a fellow member in doing so. By putting the other bits of information together – given to him from Tsunade – Sasuke then realised that Itachi must have escaped relatively unscathed from the Akatsuki base, and travelled through the Land of Stone. There, he had been chased by various members of the country's defence team, and had been severely injured. Only after killing them all, did he finally stop running. That was when the Anbu of Konoha had found him; propped up like a lifeless rag doll against a tree in the woods.

But now... Itachi was saying that there was still more to know? About the Clan's murder? About... himself?

The finger on his lips dropped back to the owner's side. 'Come on, baby brother,' Itachi whispered, standing up and holding out his hand. 'Let's take a walk.'

* * *

X –x –x –x – X

* * *

By the time both brothers had moved from the kitchen, through the living room that still made them both shudder – remembering what they had done the previous night, how it had all felt - skin touching skin, orgasms tearing through both their bodies in flurries of white-hot pleasure...

Both of them had remained silent walking through that bloodied room, although the grip on Sasuke's hand tightened a little. He had smiled slightly; just letting those memories filter through his head. Imagining living with Itachi... the things they'd be able to do without having to keep an eye out for intruders – for people who'd think it was something sinfully wrong. And yet, deep down, Sasuke knew it was wrong. It was twisted, it was gorgeous – it was sinfully delicious in so many sadistic ways.

He had gripped the hand tighter in response.

Itachi had shielded himself with a genjutsu as they had walked towards the abandoned Uchiha district. It was dusk – just after 6:00pm – but by the time they had reached the houses covered with dust, it was nearly dark.

Now, sitting on the pier by the lake, just outside their childhood home – Sasuke was beginning to think about Itachi's proposal. Living with him... the murderer who had killed his family, who had killed possibly hundreds of people – who loved him. Itachi was the man who he looked up to – he was much more than just a brother... he had known that from the beginning. From the time when he was eight, and had woken up to that kind of dream – young, little body drenched in sweat; hard, aching feeling in his groin – having to bite his pillow to stifle the cries as he spilled into his tired hands. Ever since that dream, Sasuke had known. Known that it was wrong, known that it should have been a girl with breasts and feminine curves that was draped over his body – but was in actual fact his older brother. He had cried himself to sleep after staring with disgust at the thin white substance lacing his fingers and palm.

He was only eight years old.

And now, a teenager – only just 14, he knew he was in way too far over his head.

He leaned back against Itachi's chest; his legs dangling over the edge of the pier – not nearly touching the black water below. Itachi was behind him, a leg on either side of Sasuke's waist; hands clasped tightly around the light waist. His face rested in the spiky hair, nuzzling his nose gently behind the boy's right ear.

Sasuke swung his legs to and fro; his bare toes in the sandals occasionally brushed the water's surface – flicking the occasional droplet skidding across the water. Ripples ran through the first few metres, before slowing to a stop.

'So?' Itachi asked, his breath warm against the nape of the boy's neck. 'Have you considered my proposition?'

Sasuke nodded slowly. 'Yeah... I've thought about it – I'm just...undecided I guess.'

'That's understandable,' he replied, unlacing his fingers at Sasuke's front, and placing a hand in the raven hair. He combed his fingers through it, scratching lightly at the soft scalp. 'I have something for you.'

Sasuke turned his head slightly, averting his gaze from the deep, dark lake before him. Itachi's eyes were a soft crimson above him, looking at him lovingly as he spoke.

'You mean, a present?' Sasuke asked, smiling. His dark eyes lit up with curiosity. 'Hm, something like that,' Itachi chuckled, and pressed a kiss to Sasuke's forehead.

Sasuke frowned. '...was that it?'

He almost jumped out of his skin when Itachi laughed.

He glanced up at those crimson eyes, watching with an unreadable gaze as those sharingan orbs faded to a beautiful, ebony black. Itachi was laughing, smiling, just like how Sasuke remembered him to be.

He received another kiss to his forehead. 'No foolish baby-brother,' he smiled, his laughter dying down. 'This is for you...'

Reaching behind his neck, he unclasped something underneath his long ponytail. It clicked, as if a latch or some kind of clasp had been undone. Sasuke watched intently as Itachi brought his hands back to his front; pulling the something along with them.

Itachi shifted a little, rubbing one of his feet on Sasuke's bandaged shin, in an almost seductive manner. 'Face forward, Sasuke,' he breathed, noticing the shiver that seemed to trickle up the younger's spine at the sound of his low voice. Sasuke seemed so sensitive.

Sasuke's head turned back once again to face the lake; those soft dark eyes disappearing from his view. The sound of something clinking filled the air, as Itachi fiddled with the item in his hand. Slowly, he placed the item over the top of Sasuke's head, so that it hung delicately around the front of his neck. Clicking the clasp back into place, he hid the back of the necklace under the black spikes of hair.

Sasuke looked down at the necklace now gracing his neck. Three small metal hoops lay attached to a thin silver chain.

'A... necklace?' He asked, slightly bewildered that Itachi would give him something of his own. 'Your necklace now,' Itachi corrected, smiling. 'I bought it a while back. I've never been too fond of jewellery, but I really liked this piece – I want you to have it now.'

The long, ring-free fingers entwined themselves around Sasuke's; touching the necklace gently, as if it were a sacred treasure. Their fingers laced together so perfectly, Sasuke couldn't help but think that they were in some twisted way, a perfect match. Because they were siblings... because they looked so alike – it was just perfect.

'Itachi... this is lovely, thank you so much.'

Itachi buried his face in Sasuke's hair, breathing in that smell of shampoo and silky conditioner. 'You're very welcome. I'd give you everything if I could... you're so very special to me,' he said, as he continued to rub his foot slowly along Sasuke's shin. The air around them hung heavy, sweet – like thick, warm syrup.

The lake continued to ripple in long, dark circles – practically never ending as they stretched nearly the whole length of the lake. Dark grasses and reeds grew in patches along the water's edge, making a lulling hushing sound as the night wind blew through them.

Sasuke held onto one of Itachi's hands, rubbing the fingers between his palms. 'I love you, Aniki,' he whispered, the sound seeming to be swallowed up by the darkness of that ominous lake.

But Itachi had heard it. Even if it was spoken during a thunder storm or a fireworks display – he would have heard it. Those words meant so much to him.

'I know you do, Otouto,' he replied. ' – and you know that I love you too.'

Sasuke nodded. 'Itachi...' he began, pausing slightly, as if thinking his words over. '...I – I want to run away with you.'

Itachi's hands around his waist tightened ever so slightly. '...you mean it?' He asked, in wonder. 'I thought you wouldn't want to leave – you have so much here –'

'– I have nothing here. Friends? People who I have betrayed? Family? You're the only family I have left, Itachi. I want this. Please.'

Silence hung around them again; almost suffocating. After a minute's pause, Itachi placed two fingers under Sasuke's chin; tapping once to lift the chin towards him.

'Perfect,' he smiled, before closing the distance between their lips.

* * *

Tsunade gasped, watching as the two brother's kissed by the edge of the pier. Something deep inside her twisted slightly. Disgust? No, no... that wasn't it. She prided herself in being open-minded, not judgemental... but still... what was this horrible sinking feeling in her gut?

She had followed Sasuke as he had left his apartment in early evening. She didn't feel particularly comfortable stalking the boy, but she felt that she had to. She had had her suspicions ever since he had first visited the older brother in the prison cell, and now, watching them embrace and kiss and touch each other - her suspicions were very much confirmed.

Sasuke shouldn't be doing this. Itachi was his brother for God's sake... where was his supreme reasoning skill? Where was his hatred? It seemed to all melt away into nothing around Itachi.

Love? Was that it? Could love happen, could love even begin to occur for two people like them?

Why not? Love was love after all, she reminded herself. People didn't have any control over such a powerful emotion. Love between a woman and a man, childhood friends – even Itachi and Sasuke – wasn't it all just the same?

Gradually, she relaxed against the tree she was leaning against. She decided to turn away when she watched how feverishly Itachi's hands moved to divest Sasuke of his clothing. She wasn't going to watch what she knew was happening... In all honesty, when she started to hear those cries and wails of pure passion, she wanted to just leave them both to it.

She remembered the times when her boyfriend used to hold her like that... used to make her feel like she was the only woman in the world...

And that was when she realised it. What was happening just a few hundred yards away, wasn't for her to intervene with. If Sasuke loved Itachi, then she knew that he'd make the right choices, the right decisions. And if Itachi loved him back... then wasn't that just perfect? Mutual love. There surely wasn't anything better.

She took a step away from the scene, a step back into the forest where she had hidden for the past hour or so. Even there, in the shadows of the pine trees, she couldn't escape those sounds. The pants, the moans, the pure sounds of loving someone else to the point where it almost ruptured your heart...

She sighed, and continued her walk back home. Yes, she thought to herself aimlessly, as pine needles crunched quietly under her feet. If that was love... she could in no way try to prevent it.

A sudden splintering sound of a tree branch falling to the earth made her jump, and pull the kunai from her belt. It sounded a few metres away – close enough to hear the hurried footsteps that were nearing the very edge of the forest. She clutched the kunai handle tightly in her palm and sprinted quickly towards the others. Their chakra was well known to her. She met, spoke, instructed them almost every day...

But by the time she had burst out of the forest, she knew with a sickening thud of her heart, that it was too late.

The team of ANBU were already speeding down the pathway, kunai and shuriken already flying towards their target –

She tried helplessly to scream; 'STOP IT! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND –' But they were oblivious to her warnings. They were men of battle, and they had just found their S-ranked criminal.

They were simply doing their job.

She watched from the sidelines as Itachi protectively clutched the younger boy; sprawled on the floor with exhaustion and fear. His hands enveloped the small naked body tightly to his chest – before his eyes suddenly flashed pure scarlet.

One Anbu dropped dead with a hoarse scream.

One Anbu stopped to help his comrade.

Another Anbu threw a rain of weapons towards the criminal –

And one hefty kunai struck its target.

Tsunade didn't notice Itachi flinch as a kunai embedded itself in his clothed back. He didn't scream or cry out in pain... his eyes just revolved; twisting and burning to express his agony and anger.

Sasuke was crying; suddenly not a fourteen year old anymore, but a little boy clinging to his brother for protection.

One Anbu spoke up. 'SASUKE!! Come here! Get away from him!!'

But Sasuke didn't move. His arms fastened around Itachi's neck in denial.

The leader of the Anbu raised a hand to din the deafening screams and shouts. He stepped to the side, eyes never leaving Itachi's as he spoke to his comrade. It was the final rule of being an Anbu; rule 200. _If an S-ranked criminal is holding someone hostage, and is not about to give himself up easily – then the shinobi must act for the safety of those around him. The shinobi must, by any means possible –_

'...kill him.'

* * *

_TBC..._

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

_Sparkling angel, I believe,_

_You were my saviour, in my time of need._

_Blinded by faith, I couldn't hear –_

_All the whispers, the warnings so clear._

* * *

Chapter 9

Tsunade stared – horrified. They couldn't... no – not _kill_ him! Sasuke needed him, and now she knew that more than anything. If Itachi died – Sasuke would have no-one. He wouldn't _want_ anyone else – his brother was everything to him.

It was so painstakingly obvious.

Now, as she looked on, helplessly, watching as one more Anbu dropped dead in a flash of crimson, she couldn't help but be in slight wonder of Itachi's fighting ability – if, of course, it could be called such. Using his eyes; such a trivial thing, a thing taken for granted – and using them to _kill_...

It was rather amazing; in a strange, frightening way.

Itachi grip around his brother tightened as the blade was thrown into his lower back. It felt strangely cold as it tore through the muscle, but soon only pain could register in Itachi's mind. He wouldn't scream. No matter how painful things got, no matter how _bad_ – he _wouldn't_ scream.

Sasuke hadn't seen the throwing knife embed itself within Itachi's back; piercing his cloak and jutting out at a starkly grotesque angle. He did, however, notice when those strong arms holding him against the warm chest held him impossibly closer. Never before had Sasuke wanted to simply scream out; let people know that they just _couldn't_ kill Itachi...Because he loved him. They loved each other.

Wasn't that reason enough?

Sasuke was about to lift his head up to survey the scene again; but quickly forced his head down into the black cloak as another scream ruptured through the air. A heavy thump of a body hitting the wooden dock resounded from nearby.

Itachi frowned. His energy was low; masking himself to come down here to this place had used up the majority of his chakra, and he wasn't able to stand – not with the handle of a weapon protruding from his back. He needed to think, and _quickly –_

But he wasn't quick enough.

The Anbu captain was clever; he wouldn't be the captain if he wasn't. Just by looking at the way Itachi was holding his younger brother had given him enough information. A strategy had formed instantly in his head, and without a seconds glance to his companions, he had run those finals steps towards the Uchiha brothers. His companions could do nothing: not with half of them already dead.

Itachi barely saw the armour-clad fist come crashing down onto his face – but after expecting the blow, there was no pain. One blink and Itachi realised his mistake. That attack... wasn't intended for him.

The Anbu's fist hurtled towards the right side of Sasuke's face; causing Itachi to do exactly what the captain _knew_ he would do. It was Itachi's one weakness. A weakness that anybody had when they were in love; when they wanted to protect someone. Itachi had moved to the side; and blocked Sasuke from the punch. The heavy fist crashed into his arm – and the sound of splintering bone was eminent above the cries from the younger boy, now lying sprawled on the pier.

Itachi glanced over to where Sasuke lay – but that quick glance was enough time for the Anbu to throw his body to the wooden ground; holding the long ponytail in a haphazard grasp and forcing the face down, hard. A warm trickle of blood dripped onto Itachi's lips, and it took him only a second to realise that his nose was bleeding.

'Get the boy!!' The captain shouted out, sitting astride the Uchiha's back; pinning the body – and most importantly the eyes – down and out of sight. If Itachi could see no-one, he could hurt no-one.

A quick look over his shoulder at his comrades, and he angrily shouted again. 'What are you standing dumbstruck for?! I said GET THE BOY!' And finally the three remaining Anbu took action.

Sasuke tried to desperately crawl out of their way; but he was quickly encased within their arms and hoisted up off the ground. Pushing his thin hands to their thick shoulders; Sasuke attempted to look back at Itachi, now being held to the ground like a restrained animal. It was so degrading – so _wrong_ to see his older brother now so powerless.

Sasuke's heart tightened as Itachi's eyes caught his gaze; onyx eyes meeting with tired, fading crimson. The captain noticed of course, and roughly turned Itachi's face back down onto the wooden slates. 'Get your _fucking_ eyes _down_,' he spat, digging his knee onto the handle of the knife sticking from Itachi's back.

Itachi winced. _He wouldn't scream. He wouldn't scream. _

'Itachi!' Sasuke's voice cut through the air like oil in water. It was a slow, quiet cry – sounding far away. The black lake shimmered just below Itachi's eyesight.

It laughed at him.

'Itachi!!'

The lake thousands of eyes glinted and shone in the moonlight; all mocking the elder as he lay sprawled on the bloodied pier. The heavy aching pain in his side where the blade had penetrated lulled him into a sense of cold, numbness.

The lake suddenly looked as though it were welcoming him with wet, open arms.

* * *

Tsunade couldn't stand it. Sasuke's screams and pleads were falling on deaf ears. The scarlet anger and pride had all but vanished from Itachi's eyes – and Tsunade knew that he was going to die. Her ears caught snippets of speech that drifted to her from the lakeside: 

'_fitting way to...die like you killed...him...Shisui...__'_

_'...'_

_'...never paid...price for his death.'_

_'...'_

Itachi's head was pushed dangerously close to the water's ebbing surface; the hand in his hair was like burning iron against his scalp. Sasuke's screams and cries never reached his ears.

Tsunade knew she had to do something. Itachi couldn't die. Not yet.

She ran out of the forest and straight onto the long pathway leading down to the pier. Throwing her hands together, she muttered a quick prayer to any deity listening, before shouting out the words:

'Somnolent: Sleeping haze jutsu!'

As soon as the words had left her mouth, a thick white mist descended onto the dark lake, and crawled like some monstrous insect onto the water's edge.

For a brief moment, everyone stilled. The three remaining Anbu trying to drag Sasuke away from the scene, paused. The Captain holding Itachi down suddenly relaxed his hand. Everything just... stopped. The jutsu was in full motion, and with a sickening thud all the Anbu ninjas fell to the floor.

Sasuke fell to the ground along with the men around him. Hugging his legs protectively against his chest, he stared in shock as the jutsu claimed the unconscious warriors. Their chests were moving only very slightly up and down. They weren't..._dead_... they were just unconscious. But – Tsunade – when had she got here? How much had she seen? How much did she now know?

Crawling to his feet, Sasuke hastily grabbed a cloak from one of the Anbu's shoulders and pulled it around his own. The heavy fabric was a light grey, and coarse on his bare skin; ideal for the soldiers travelling through forests and scratching branches. Stumbling forward, he made his way back down to the pier's edge, his feet slapping on the dirt and wooden boards leading down to the lake.

Itachi remained still, although he knew that the Anbu atop him also fallen to the floor – if the sudden weight off of his throbbing back was anything to go by. There was the sound of someone running down the pier; no, _two_ people. Sasuke...? Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't. He didn't know for sure – all he could see was that dark, glinting water. The same kind of water that he had immersed his cousin's head in.

'I-Itachi...'

A soft voice, as Sasuke knelt beside him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

Sasuke couldn't help but notice how damp his brother's clothes were; sticking to the body like a second skin. This was fear for Itachi; the sweat was proof enough. Sasuke watched as a shudder convulsed through the strong muscles; red eyes closed tightly with strain.

'...Itachi? Are you –' He stopped, something shiny catching his attention; the handle of the blade that was rammed into his brother's back. 'Oh...shit...' he breathed, trying hard to not look at how hap-hazardly it was jutting out of the flesh; how the blood was slowly but steadily soaking into the fabric.

Tsunade, after running across that fateful pier where so much blood had been spilt, finally stopped beside the two brothers, her chest rising and falling from the sudden exertion of such an immense jutsu. Nearly all of her chakra was drained from paralysing so many people – never before had she attempted to use the technique on so many, whose training had taught them well on how to resist chakra forces anyway.

Again, the weapon in Itachi's back caught her eye. The handle glinted slightly.

'Sasuke – Itachi,' she began, not knowing which sibling to confront first. A bubble of confusion began to swell in her gut. Should she apologise? But for what, she questioned herself. She had been the one to originally send out Anbu in order to track Itachi down – was _she_ the one to blame for all this?

No. Such a huge guilt could not rest on her shoulders alone. Itachi and Sasuke both played the pivotal parts in this story; their hatred and love for such a despised relationship had driven them extremes: not only in the form of lust, carnal pleasure which could be satiated in the right way by anyone, but also in the form of compassion; and kindness.

Itachi was a _murderer_. Sasuke was the person he had left _behind_.

These people should posses nothing but hatred for each other... and yet, it seemed to be that hatred – that _link_ which had led them to becoming what they were now.

For some strange reason, Tsunade found herself thinking of the phrase 'Accomplish the Opposite'. She pulled her attention back to the present, and turned to Sasuke first:

'Sasuke, we need to get Itachi back to your house... that weapon needs to be removed.'

'But – but we can't move him, we need to get it out _now_,' he stressed the word anxiously. Itachi's brow was furrowed, tiny droplets of sweat dripping from his hairline.

'Okay, okay – I'll need to just...' Tsunade's voice came to a slow halt. Sasuke knew immediately that something was wrong. 'What is it?' He asked, already knowing the answer.

'...I don't have enough chakra to begin straight away.'

It was true; her chakra signature was weak and tremendously fragile... if she tried to exert any physical strength, and then on top of that, tried to heal damaged muscle – she could be putting her life at risk.

Sasuke's heart began to quicken as he realised what was silently being asked of him.

'You...want me to do it?'

Tsunade nodded. 'It's either that or we'll have to wait a few hours at the least – I don't want to be responsible for his death, Sasuke.' She said calmly, noticing how the boy – in nothing more than a cloak – began to tremble slightly.

'But I... I _can't_ – I don't know what –'

Sasuke jumped as a hand suddenly gripped his own. He looked down as Itachi tightened his grip; his black eyes opening in order to see his brother fully. 'Come on, Sasuke,' he breathed shallowly, his voice rasping and catching in his throat. '– You always wanted to treat my wounds when we were little –' He winced as fresh pain ricocheted up his spine, '- remember?'

Sasuke bit his bottom lip. '_But I can't do it.' _He whispered urgently, trying his hardest not to look at the blade in Itachi's back.

Itachi smiled slightly. 'Yes you can, you can do anything if you put your mind to it.' His smile didn't fade, even as more pain overwhelmed him to the point where all he wanted to do was _scream_.

He tightened his grip once more around Sasuke's shaking hand; squeezing it like he used to do as means of comfort.

Sasuke tried to swallow his nerves, but found his throat to be parched. Nodding once and no more, he reached out with his free hand to grasp at the knife's handle. It was deadly cold in his palm.

'That's it,' Itachi breathed, squeezing the hand in his. 'Now, I want you to count down from three. On three, you need to pull hard – and make sure it's straight up; vertically.'

Sasuke's head began to swim with the instructions and the sheer realising that yes, he was indeed going to pull the blade out from deep flesh. A cold trickle of sweat fell to the nape of his neck, and his skin suddenly developed goose pimples.

Tsunade watched, helpless, from above – just listening with pure admiration to the brother's dialogue. Such an action wouldn't go without pain, she thought to herself as she watched Sasuke's grip on the handle tighten. And yet, Itachi had a way with words which seemed to calm the younger boy down, that seemed to make him more...reassured. It was true, maybe Sasuke _could_ do anything when he was around Itachi.

The countdown began; Sasuke's voice wavering with each syllable:

'One.'

He gripped the metal, feeling how sturdy it was – so deep inside his brother's back. Blood soaked the clothing around the point of penetration; making a dark patch on the navy shirt.

'Tw –' He stopped, something puzzling him. 'Itachi... stop smiling...' he muttered, before finishing the second number in the countdown.

Itachi's smile travelled from his lips and shone in his eyes. 'Never around you, Sasuke,' he replied slowly.

Sasuke felt the last squeeze on his fingers, before he reasserted his grip and attention. He took a deep breath in.

'Three.'

The blade was pulled upwards and droplets of blood fell into the water beneath the slated pier. A hoarse scream echoed around the dark lake, along with the sound of a heavy weapon clattering to the ground with a metallic thud. It skidded in the small puddle of blood on the wooden deck, and slipped into the inky water below.

For a second, the blood staining the blade floated in the water like oil; thin crimson streaks warping mindlessly with the flow of the lake, before they melted away into nothing. The glinting knife disappeared out of sight; becoming one with the lake that had nearly taken Itachi's life.

Sasuke fell back to his knees, breathing heavily in the aftermath of what he had just done. _The blood.__ Gods, there was so much of it – _He thought rapidly, as he lifted the back of his hand to his face, wiping it across his lips that seemed to sting slightly. Itachi's hand was still in his, although was now so much looser – almost like a feather in his palm.

Itachi had fallen unconscious as soon as the scream had left his mouth.

'He's only passed out, Sasuke,' Tsunade said gently, as she placed a hand on the boy's shaking shoulder. 'Come, we need to get him somewhere safe – before the Jutsu wears off these guys,' she gestured with her hand to the abundance of Anbu, lying scattered across the pier. 'How...how long will they be like that for?' He asked, curious.

'A few more hours at the least,' she replied slowly. 'That should give us more than enough time... But we can't make it back into central Konoha to get to your apartment. There's not enough chakra between us to conceal Itachi's body, so we need to find somewhere else.'

Sasuke nodded, there was no point dragging Itachi's body through the main streets, where nearly _anyone_ could see him. He looked around at the few houses that sat on the edge of the Lake – old, abandoned houses that used to be occupied by Uchiha Clan members. His own childhood home was just down the pathway a little – it would be a perfect hideout until he could get back to his own apartment.

'We can go to my old house,' he said, as he lifted one of Itachi's arms and put it around his shoulder; slinging the body up a little bit. For a moment Sasuke couldn't help but think that Itachi seemed like a puppet – a marionette with just strings to pull. No power at all.

Tsunade stood up from her position on the ground and took Itachi's other limp arm. When they got to Sasuke's house, she would have regained enough chakra to maybe heal the damaged tissue where the blade had penetrated – and then, she would leave both brothers alone until the morning. There would be uproar in the daylight, when the Anbu would realise that half of their team was dead, and that Tsunade herself had helped the S-ranked criminal to get away...

But for the meantime, the night was still young – and the darkness contrasting with the silver moon seemed to drape the Uchiha district in a sense of serenity.

Tsunade knew that it was only the calm before the storm.

* * *

x-x-x-x-x

* * *

Itachi stirred slightly in the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight as he rolled onto his side – but he quickly stopped his movements, expecting a sudden burst of pain to shock his spine from the blow with the knife –

But there was none. No pain. None at all.

_Strange, _he thought to himself, he was sure that it would hurt a _little_... Cautiously, he rolled onto his front and reached a hand up onto his lower back. He felt the skin; expecting to find some grotesquely-formed blood clot or hole – but again, there was nothing.

What had happened? What had gone wrong? Why was he _here_ – in a room and a bed that smelled so familiar?

A sudden creak for the door across the room pulled Itachi from his thoughts. He turned back onto his back to look up slightly.

'Sasuke?' He coughed to clear his dry throat. He tried to gather some saliva up in his mouth to swallow, but found that his mouth was completely dry.

Sasuke smiled and approached the foot of the bed; leaning on the wooden end. 'I'm glad you're awake,' he said quietly, eyes diverted as though he were in the presence of a friendly stranger. 'Tsunade said you would be exhausted after she had repaired your skin – you'd lost so much blood.'

'She... healed me?' Itachi asked, unconsciously raising a hand to touch at side. 'Why would she do that?'

'She's on our side now,' Sasuke replied, slowly taking a step around the bed frame, approaching Itachi's side.The metal necklace shone on the boy's neck as it reflected the light of the moon through the window. 'She doesn't...want us to be apart. She told me that just before she left.'

'When did she leave?'

'About an hour ago.'

'Oh.'

'...'

Silence hung heavy in the room again, as both brothers tried to think of something to say. There _was_ nothing to say, well, if there was – neither brother could say it and phrase it correctly.

Itachi sighed as he gestured with a free hand to the small space beside him. Sasuke eagerly crawled up onto the bed and slid across; lying down in the designated spot. He buried his face in Itachi's loose fitting shirt, smelling blood and sweat and still that ever present smell of _Itachi_.

'I thought... we were going to die,' Sasuke breathed, his voice barely more than a whisper. Itachi blinked, looking down at his brother's small body before replying: '...I thought so too.'

'You shouldn't have pushed me out of the way!' Sasuke suddenly shouted, anger surfacing that he had tried so hard to suppress. He sat up out of the so warm embrace and grabbed Itachi's wrists in both hands; pinning the older sibling to the mattress. 'If you hadn't tried to protect me – you wouldn't have...wouldn't have been hurt!'

'So you're saying I shouldn't have tried to protect you?' Itachi replied, just as angry as his little brother. 'You're saying I should have just let you _die?! _You should know me by now, Sasuke. I'd never sit back and watch somebody kill you. Never.'

Itachi wriggled out from under his brother's wrists and turned them both over. Itachi looked down at his younger brother; black hair sprawled out across the pillow. He leant down for a kiss.

'Remember this, Sasuke...' he whispered, kissing the boy's eyelids and cheeks in turn; letting his tongue slide gently down the small jaw. 'Remember that I would _gladly_ sacrifice myself for you. I would _never_ leave you to die... Never.' He placed a soft kiss on the corner of Sasuke's lips, before pulling his tongue across the gradually parting seam.

Sasuke moaned lightly, not wanting to keep any sinful emotions inside for any longer. The kiss deepened as Itachi's tongue made its way into Sasuke's mouth, touching alongside smooth teeth and wet gums. '...ah – unn...'

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat as the tongue pushed in deeper; forcing past his own tongue and rubbing against it. The wet muscle felt so hot and wet inside his mouth – it was such a consuming moment; a passionate kiss.

'S-Sasuke, ah – '

The younger's heart twisted in his chest. Had Itachi _ever_ said his name like that? It sounded so needy – so erotic. Sasuke smiled as he lifted his knees up; pushing them into the gap between Itachi's thighs. His brother's face contorted in shock and pleasure, and Sasuke watched in twisted delight at his sudden power over his older sibling.

'Nn...Sasuke what are you – ah – doing?' Itachi panted heavily, looking down at the knees that were pressing into his groin. Resisting the urge to push down onto them and relieve the burning sensation in his gut. Sweat began to form on his temples.

'Nothing, Nisan,' Sasuke replied coyly, pulling his right leg closer to his own chest. His shin dragged along Itachi's length, making the older squirm slightly above him. 'Why, does it feel good?' He smiled.

Itachi muttered a brief 'yes' before rotating his hips just a little; enough to make a small moan escape his lips. Sasuke wanted to desperately feel that writhing body deep within him – but he didn't have the voice to tell Itachi to stop his actions. Those trouser-clad hips gyrated against his shin and leg, which sported nothing but white bandages which he had failed to remove back at the pier.

Sasuke took a deep breath and pulled the remainder of his leg towards him; making sure to curl his toes against his brother's erection as he did so.

Itachi almost came – and struggled to hold himself back; panting, breathlessly wanting to continue – but knowing that if he wanted this night to last, then he needed to force himself to wait a little longer.

'Stop that... Sasuke...' He muttered, trying to support his shaking body that was just _so close_ to orgasm. Sasuke smirked once more. 'Why?' He asked, teasingly. 'I thought you liked _this_...'

His toes curled around Itachi's arousal again.

'I _love_ it very much,' Itachi replied, shifting away from Sasuke's troublesome legs and feet and leaning over the teen's lithe body below him. His lips rested on the shell of Sasuke's ear.

'But I don't want to come yet... not until – '

Sasuke's fists tightened in the shoulders of Itachi's shirt. This was when Itachi _really_ struck a chord with him – a tight, sickening chord resounding deep within every pore, every muscle, and every _fibre_ of his being. This was twisted, and so so gorgeous.

' – I'm inside you,'

Itachi's lips brushed against the very inside of Sasuke's ear as he spoke; causing the younger to squirm just like he had done merely minutes ago.

' – and holding your shaking body against mine.'

Itachi's resolve was slowly slipping as his words triggered the memories of their last coupling: the sweat, the blood, the raw dull pain and the sweet aftertaste that he knew only Sasuke could provide.

Because if this was killing Sasuke, then Itachi knew he was already a dead man.

'Itachiii...' Sasuke whined, fitfully tossing his head to the side and back to the middle again, his fists opening and closing tightly into the shirt on Itachi's shoulders. Itachi frowned. 'I'm not even touching you yet, and you seem like you're close already,' he said gently, observing how a thin line of sweat was forming on Sasuke's hairline. He nuzzled his nose behind the boy's ear and breathed in that damp smell of sweat and arousal.

Sasuke nodded. 'Your...talking... voice...'

'...arouses you?' Itachi interrupted, smiling lightly at his brother's incapability to form a sentence. He never knew that his voice would be such a turn on for Sasuke; although he'd be lying if he said he didn't get a thrill out of talking dirty.

Sasuke nodded again – for it was all he was able to do. His tongue felt unusually big in his mouth; and every single part of his body seemed to itch with an insatiable desire. He felt Itachi take his thin wrists and press them down onto his pillow, one on either side of his head.

It had seemed far too long since he had felt those fingers on his skin.

'I... want to take you, Sasuke. I want to have you _now_...'

Sasuke trembled as his brother breathed against his outstretched neck; the words falling onto his skin in gentle warm puffs of breath. His restrained arms trembled under the grip, forcing his body to stay as still as possible as Itachi kissed the small hollow where his two collarbones met.

He hardly noticed those fingers releasing his wrists to pull his clothes off his body; hardly noticed how suddenly Itachi was _naked_ above him and getting ready to push in.

But he _did_ notice the feeling when that body above filled him in one fluid movement. Heat prickled his skin and made his eyes burn behind closed eyelids, not needing them open to simply _feel_ the wonderful violation of his body.

'Ah – ani..kiii.'

This was so wrong.

'_P-Please..._'

This felt so right.

Itachi moaned as his hips moved on their own accord; pushing in slowly, withdrawing rapidly – forever changing the pace to keep both himself and Sasuke on the very edge of pleasure. His white hands stroked at the underside of the boy's sweaty thighs; lifting them up just a little to gain a better, harder, _deeper_ access into that precious body.

Sasuke's throat was numb from crying and pleading and begging – wanting to carry this on for all eternity, and yet so desperately needing a release. His erection burned almost _painfully _for friction, and yet he knew if he went to reach his own hand towards it, Itachi would only slap it away. His body was Itachi's for touching, caressing.

Watching Sasuke's eyes fitfully roll behind his eyelids, Itachi couldn't help but lean in and kiss those black eyelashes. They fluttered delicately under his lips as he pulled away, his thrusts into the small body never failing in speed or precision. Although...

Itachi suddenly angled his hips and thrust forcefully in a sharp motion. Sasuke's breath hitched with a small undignified squeak in the back of his throat as pleasure trickled slowly up his spine, making his lower back ache and throb with delightful pain.

'Does _that_ feel good, Sasuke?' Itachi whispered, smiling as he asked the same question that Sasuke had asked him just a short time ago. Sasuke could only give a muffled whimper in reply; causing Itachi to push his hips towards his brother harder.

This time Sasuke did scream. The pleasure was far too amazing; far too horribly intense for him to hold back –

But Itachi beat him to it; releasing suddenly and unexpectedly inside Sasuke's shaking body. The sudden warmness encasing Sasuke seemed to delay his own orgasm – and he let out a whimper of both pain and pleasure as he let his head sink back onto the pillow beneath him. He could hear Itachi's frantic breathing slow slightly, aswell as the creaking of the mattress as the older sibling tiredly crawled beside him.

Itachi knew his brother hadn't yet released, and he glanced at the erection as he lay down beside Sasuke's wet body; pressing his chest to the boy's back.

He placed an arm over his thin, white waist and gently took his brother's arousal into the palm of his hand. Sasuke's moans were renewed as he stroked at the flesh, gripping with his fingers and pulling lightly; fingers brealy touching the small slit which sent Sasuke's body into small spasms; the muscles in his damp thighs shaking with strain.

Within seconds, Sasuke spilled with a exhausted cry into Itachi's hand; his body drained of any energy. 'Ahh...ah – Itachi!'

'Ssh, ssh,' Itachi hushed, collecting the white liquid in his hand and wiping it carefully onto the edge of the duvet, lying dishevelled beneath them. Sasuke's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to blink back hot tears that stung his eyes. Never before had he felt like that. That was...

'...so different...to last time,' he breathed, feeling the hand on his waist turn him over to face the elder. He gratefully buried his face into the crook of Itachi's neck, closing his eyes and allowing those burning tears to fall onto his brother's chest. His hands found their way to Itachi's shoulders and gently touched them, as if confirming the fact that this was his own flesh and blood.

'Hm, yeah,' Itachi agreed, kissing Sasuke's damp hair as the boy snuggled closer to him. Itachi smiled at the warm gesture from his sibling; feeling the cold metal of the necklace touching his chest.

'Sleep now, Otouto,' he whispered, noticing how bright the moon shone through the slated panes of the wooden shutters across the window. He felt Sasuke nod against his chest, and those little lips move gently as he spoke:

'Good night Ni-san...'

And then the boy was asleep.

Itachi stretched a leg and entwined it with one of Sasuke's, listening to his steady breathing as he drifted off to sleep. He threw another glance over at the closed window, almost worriedly, before sighing and closing his black eyes; holding Sasuke tightly in his arms.

'Let the morning come,' he thought to himself, as he felt his brother's heart beat softly against his own chest. 'There's nothing any of them can do now. Let the sun bear witness to this _sin_ – it doesn't matter anymore...'

Itachi soon fell asleep; both brothers now dead to the world inside each other's arms - and for that moment, only the darkness of night looked upon the sinful embrace taking place in the damp bed.

The silver moon was shrouded behind black clouds, and the bedroom was sent into darkness.

* * *

_TBC... _

_A/N:: Next chapter will probably be the final chapter – just to let you all know in advance! I'm not giving anything about the finale away, so just let me know how this chapter went. Enjoy it? Hate it? Like the Lemon? Let me know. Oh – and which would you honestly prefer, sad or happy ending? I can do either to suit your prefereneces. If I get more 'votes' for a happy ending, then I'll do it. Or vice versa of course. _:-)

Review!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sasuke stirred, waking up to a cold mattress and sheets that clung to his body like a second skin. He rubbed his eyes, blinking twice when he realised that Itachi wasn't beside him.

That's odd, he thought to himself as he propped his body up onto his elbows. It's not like Itachi to wake up and leave after a night like that… He suppressed a shiver, his skin itching delightfully at the memory of how his body had been completed dominated, violated, _satiated _by his brother. A gentle sigh passed his lips.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at the space where Itachi should've been; but there was no one. The bed was completely made, almost as if no one had even beside him.

But it wasn't a dream, Sasuke assured himself. He reached a hand beneath the covers and pressed gently on his right thigh. The flesh was bruised, and he couldn't help but smile. Last night was no dream. Itachi's fingers had really bruised his muscles; gripping his hips to hold him in place.

Sasuke smiled again.

It hadn't been just a night of sex, no; it wasn't even as simple as making love – or any other of the fancy, flowery words you could apply to it. It had been something… different. Not only had they merged, bonded, _joined_ their bodies in the nastiest, most sinful way – but had melted their brotherly ties into one. They were still siblings, yes, but now…

Now, they were something more.

'And now he's gone,' Sasuke muttered to himself, glancing around the room once more. But where? Why? Why would he just get up and leave? Surely he wouldn't run away from all this again, surely he had more sense than that.

He should know by now that running away will get him nowhere. If I've come to realise that, then shouldn't he have done too?

'Sasuke?'

The young boy turned his head sharply to the opposite side of the room; staring at the door as pale fingers curled around the edge and pushed it open with a gentle creak. His heart leapt in his throat as he saw an ANBU

'Itachi,' Sasuke breathed, an odd mix of relief and desperation welling up in his chest and knotting there tightly. Itachi gave a slight nod as he entered the room; closing the door behind him with a soft click as the latch flicked shut. He was fully dressed, Sasuke noticed, as he flicked his eyes awkwardly down his own naked chest, pale, white skin that appeared almost sickly.

'You shouldn't have left me,' he began, but even as he started to speak Itachi was climbing over the end of the bed, crawling towards him on all fours and holding his wrists together _tightly_.

'I needed to…' Itachi's hot whispers drifted across his bare throat, and for a moment Sasuke felt the soft flicker of the man's lips against his skin as he spoke. '…get some things done.'

'Without me?' Sasuke asked, suddenly feeling so breathless under the weight, the _demand_ of his brother's body. Their chests almost touched, and Sasuke felt a need to arch up – to meet that gentle curve of his brother's body above him. They would perfectly together, like two pieces of a puzzle, like two _brothers_.

'Yes,' he replied. 'I needed to speak to Tsunade and ask her some things. It's all sorted now.'

'What did you talk about? Where is she? What about the ANBU squads – '

'Hush, Otouto,' came the soft whisper, Itachi pressing his forefinger against Sasuke's soft lips. 'It's all sorted out. Tsunade has gone. She knows how to deal with things; she's a smart woman.' Subconsciously, Itachi wanted to reach down to his side and touch the wound that the Hokage had healed, with her own chakra, with her own hands.

He owed her something more than what they had agreed on.

'Okay,' Sasuke muttered, turning his head to the side to avoid looking at that scarlet gaze that _promised _truth, _promised_ safety –

But he had been lied to before, so many times now, and for some reason even though Sasuke anticipated and expected the promise to break, he couldn't help but feel a little bit more broken himself. But that's what Itachi did to him, with his sharp teeth and wet tongue and whispered words promising oh-so-wonderfully disgusting things. He was breaking him down.

Itachi leant in a little and placed a kiss on Sasuke's exposed temple. He released the boy's wrists and brushed the black bangs away from his glistening eyes.

'Don't be upset,' he said gently, kissing Sasuke's cheek. 'I don't want…' A kiss on the very corner of his mouth. '…you to hurt because of…' A kiss on his pliant lips; melting under his influence. '…me.'

'_But I deserve all this.' _Sasuke wanted to say, wanted to scream out at his brother. _I deserve you to hurt me. We both deserve all this torment and hatred because what we've done, what we've __**become**__ is something past our role as brothers. This is what we get for kissing each other, for having sex. Trouble and chaos were born snapping at our heels. _

'I'm not upset,' he said softly, sighing as he gave his brother the answer he wanted to hear. For a moment he thought he saw Itachi's eyes narrow in concern, but the look vanished almost as quickly as it came, making Sasuke think no more of it.

'…Okay then,' Itachi said, brushing strands of black hair from his little brother's face as his eyes hardened a little. 'If you want to lie to me, then that's fine.'

'W-what?!' Sasuke said, shocked. 'I'm not _lying_ to you, Itachi, I'm just trying to…'

_Make you happy. Make you stay. _

He swallowed his words down, the sudden look in Itachi's eyes forcing his voice back down his own throat.

'I'm going to make this work, Sasuke, you and me together. But I need to know this is what you want. I've pushed you, and maybe…' he paused, fingers lingering on the boy's defined cheekbones, the flesh warm and flushed under his fingertips. 'Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do.'

'No Itachi – no, don't say stuff like that,' Sasuke pleaded, shaking his head angrily, his bangs flicking onto the white pillow. 'Don't think that. I _love_ you. I think about you constantly – you're all I want.' Desperately he reached up with hands and clutched at the back of Itachi's hair, gripping it so tightly in his fists that Itachi was forced to tilt his back a little. His eyes remained locked on his brother's.

'I love you, damn it Itachi if you don't realise that!' Sasuke muttered, using his grip to bring Itachi's face towards him, arching his back up so that their lips met. He felt Itachi shudder above him; his strong hands pushing down into the pillows on either side of Sasuke's head. Itachi flinched as the teen captured his bottom lip and nibbled it gently between his sharp teeth, eliciting a soft sigh from his lips.

Sasuke sucked the lip tenderly into his own mouth; pressing his tongue against Itachi's pearly teeth until he was granted delicious entry. His mouth watered as Itachi swept his hot tongue around his gums – almost melting in between his lips.

'I love you, Itachi,' he whispered as their mouths separated wetly with a soft smacking sound. 'I love you and never want to be anywhere but by your side.' He stared intently at his brother; the black eyes losing the scarlet sharingan as they merged down to a soft, dark crimson colour.

'I understand, Sasuke,' he replied, kissing those tender lips once more to effectively close any further debates on the matter. 'Now,' Itachi said, pressing himself back up to sit between Sasuke's legs as he left the boy clearing craving more – for lust was written in his eyes and smeared across his red red mouth. '- Let's get you dressed and ready, okay? We're going to move out of here in an hour at the most.'

Sasuke nodded, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. 'Okay, an hour, right…wait,' he paused, looking over at his brother who had already slid off the bed and stepped onto the cold floor. 'Where are we going to go?'

Itachi's eyes met his.

'Away from here, and away from Konoha's defences. We need to get to the border for Fire country and cross it – once we do, Konoha's Anbu with have tremendous difficulty tracking us down. We'll set up a temporary home there.'

'Home…?' Sasuke echoed, savouring the word on his tongue. He hadn't had a home since the massacre – not since he was forced to move out and stay with numerous jounin in their houses and flats. A house couldn't always become a home – but Itachi clearly said…

'So we'll live together?'

Itachi picked up Sasuke's trousers from the floor and tossed them towards his daydreaming face. 'Yes, Sasuke, until we can find a more permanent home. There's no saying that we'll even be able to settle down once we cross the border; I'm not promising anything.'

Sasuke nodded, catching his trousers in one hand and hurrying to pull them on. 'I'll see you downstairs in ten, alright?' Itachi said.

'Yeah, fine – '

But Itachi had already left the room, and Sasuke's reply fell on deaf ears.

* * *

'You ready?' Itachi asked quietly, leaning over the old rusted sink to look outside the window. No doubt checking for Anbu, Sasuke thought to himself as he watched his highly-strung brother. Itachi's chakra was softly emanating around the kitchen, a rippling wave of power that suggested that the older Uchiha was clearly on edge.

Sasuke sighed, taking a final bite of his ration bar that he had found old and stale in the kitchen cupboard. He swallowed the disgusting cereal, trying to force his gag reflex down as he gladly threw the wrapper to one side.

He stood up from the table and walked hesitantly to Itachi's side. He hadn't spoken since Sasuke had come downstairs, not even one word had left his lips. His sharingan had been permanently fixed on the window; he didn't even look round when Sasuke's fingertips gently brushed his side.

'Brother?'

Itachi's eyes didn't even blink. Sasuke fingers drifted from his brother's waist over to his clothed chest. 'Brother, please don't be like this.'

'This could be the last time we're together, Otouto,' Itachi suddenly said, not taking his gaze from the dusty window pane.

'Um, yeah I know that Niisan, this is our last time before we get out of here and start our life anew…right?'

There was an eerie period of silence, and Sasuke couldn't help but tighten his fingers desperately onto Itachi's top, the fabric creasing between his knuckles. 'Itachi…?' His brother's hand found its way into his hair and ruffled his bangs.

'…Yeah,' he replied softly, giving his younger brother a small smile. He swept his hand down from Sasuke's hair and up under his chin, lifting his face up. 'Kiss me?'

Sasuke eyes seemed to glitter as he willingly placed his lips to Itachi's, kissing him chastely. He pulled away, feeling his lips linger briefly on his own as if not wanting to break apart just yet. A delightful shiver ran down his neck and trickled into his spine; his eyes met with Itachi crimson gaze curiously, wondering why his brother's hand hadn't yet left his chin.

'Kiss me again?' Itachi smiled, although he didn't need a reply. He was already leaning in as he spoke. Sasuke let his eyes flicker contently shut, opening his mouth a little to let the wet tongue slide in, his cheeks beginning to prickle and burn with a blush.

After a few moments, they broke apart to breathe – sucking in the air greedily through their wet mouths. Sasuke wiped the beads of saliva from his chin as Itachi released him, only to gasp in surprise as he was lifted up onto the dusty countertop. He looked down, curious, as his brother's arms wrapped around his waist and clung tightly onto his back.

For some odd reason, almost automatically Sasuke found himself lifting a hand and petting his brother's long hair, sprawling out across his lap. Neither of them could say anything – any words that wanted to escape Sasuke's mouth seemed to lodge themselves tightly in the base of his throat, and refused to come to the surface.

Why the pressing atmosphere was so uncomfortable, so _tense_ – Sasuke couldn't be sure.

'Are you alright, Itachi?' He asked, his voice nothing more than a whisper as he felt the grip around the sides quickly loosen; his brother gently shaking the hand off his head before standing fully. 'I'm fine, really.'

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, not believing his brother at all. 'Itachi…?' He reached out to touch his shoulder, but he was shaken off forcefully, making him flinch.

'I said I'm _fine_,' Itachi said somewhat harshly, although the look in his eyes was anything but. Sasuke could see the apology in them, deep deep within, so deep that probably only he had ever seen it.

'Let's go,' were the quick words directed at the young Uchiha, making him jump a little, tearing his gaze from his brother's.

'Okay,' he replied, and followed the shadowy form of his sibling out of the kitchen.

* * *

Three hours of non-stop sprinting through the perilous treetops of Konoha's forests, and Sasuke's feet were beginning to pound away inside his shoes. Every heavy thud on the thick, brittle branches sent his legs trembling, his back aching. He struggled to find breath, wanting so desperately to shout out to Itachi ahead and ask him to slow down a little – but his lungs were racked with pain and fatigue. Words escaped him.

As he jumped onto what he guessed might've been the twenty-thousandth tree, the sudden sparseness of trees to his right slowed him down. He paused for a split second on a sturdy branch, gripping onto the bark to hold him still. The sunlight breaking through the silhouetted trees was a rich orange, the leaves around him black with streaks of light dappled onto them. Stupidly, Sasuke made the mistake of looking down.

Immediately the dizzying height sent his stomach reeling. He looked ahead; Itachi was nowhere in sight, and his heart gave a lurch.

'Itachi!' Ignoring the order to be silent whilst moving through Konoha's outskirts, Sasuke opted to shout for his brother who had left him behind. 'Itachi! Ita-'

His words were cut short by a sudden hand slamming forcefully against his mouth, pulling him backwards until his back hit the tree trunk. He winced, hot breath hitting the palm over his lips and making it moist.

'Be quiet,' Itachi whispered harshly into his ear, speaking so close that Sasuke could almost feel the words hitting his face. In any other moment, it would've been sensuous; it would've made his groin stir and his blood boil so deliciously hot in his veins – but in this sudden face of what he could only assume to be danger, it failed to arouse him.

The hand on his mouth relaxed enough to let him whisper out: 'Itachi, what is it? What's going on? _Tell me_.'

'People. Following us.'

Sasuke throat tightened and his knees wanted to give out beneath him. _This can't be happening_, he thought desperately as he found himself clinging onto his brother's hand that had fallen down to his chest. _This can't be happening – not when we're this close to the border – not when we're so close to getting out of here – _

'So they might not be Anbu? They could just be ninja on a mission. We don't have to worry…'

Itachi didn't even look at him. 'No. They're here. They've found our trail… I know their chakra anywhere.' He hesitantly looked down at Sasuke's wide eyes. 'Start running, Sasuke. Get to the border and cross it without being seen –' The boy in his arms shook his head in disbelief; a simple utterance of 'no' passed his soft lips.

'Once you reach the border, I need you to find shelter – a temple or shrine or something will do – just stay safe.'

'No! Itachi I won't – I won't I swear I won't – ' Sasuke cried out, breathless now as he realised what Itachi was planning to do. 'No… please don't, Itachi, please.'

'There's no arguing about this, Sasuke!' He said angrily, gripping the boy's hair and pushing him roughly forward, forcing him off the tree branch and making him stumble helplessly onto the next one. 'Get going, now!'

Sasuke fought back the stinging tears in the corners of his eyes, desperately trying to talk to his brother who was simply refusing to listen. 'Itachi!' He shouted out, curling his fingers into fists by his side. His brother wouldn't even look at him; he turned swiftly, his clothes billowing in the evening breeze as he gazed into the forestry behind them. Sasuke could've sworn he heard footsteps coming right towards them.

The setting sunlight burnt umber highlights onto Itachi's hair; pulled tightly back to the nape of his neck. His white neck was just visible above the hem of travelling clothes, free of the necklace that he had always worn.

Sasuke's fingers drifted to his own neck, touched the metal hanging around it, and then fell back to his side.

'I'll wait for you!' He found himself shouting, watching as the sunlight caught the tiny particles of dust in the air and made them glitter like falling stars. Falling.

'Itachi! I'll wait for you, I promise!' He had barely noticed that his voice had risen a desperate octave.

And then Itachi turned to face him. Sasuke caught his scarlet stare, held it for that brief moment, and then –

'Do not follow me.'

watched as Itachi left him breathless and distraught in the still forest. The branch where his brother had been standing was now empty.

'Itachi,' he whispered into the dusky air; feeling his voice spiral down through the branches and into the depths of the forest below. The hollow place swallowed his voice up like a cavern. No echo was heard.

Until.

Sasuke suddenly felt immense heat emanating from the centre of the forest – a blazing, scorching red heat that ate at the tree trunks and the crisp leaves in its way. Fire. Thinking quickly, Sasuke threw himself down towards the ground; narrowly missing the ball of fire that engulfed the tree he had been perched on. Flames licked at his heels as he fell, headfirst towards hard ground. Only when he was within metres of touching down did he suddenly apply chakra to his feet; gripping him onto a tree trunk that hadn't been burnt to cinders as he ran the rest of the way down.

He breathed heavily, doubling over in pain as cramp gripped his sides from the sudden use of his energy. Exhausted, he stumbled towards the wreckage of the sudden raging inferno. The majority of the trees had been hit, he realised as he looked around. Black ash rained down from the sky; yellow flames died out on spindly twigs and leaves.

'Itachi…?'

It had been a fire-jutsu without a doubt. Sasuke knew that immediately – so Itachi had already found the Anbu and engaged battle, he presumed. Itachi should be fine fighting on his own; although… Sasuke found his mind drifting back to the night on the pier. They had very nearly been defeated, both of them back then.

A lump gathered in his throat as he ignored his brother's demand to not follow him, and began running, following the blazing trail of debris that had ripped through the forest. He didn't care if Itachi didn't need him or didn't want him to fight – they were brothers, and Sasuke had promised him that they would always fight together. This was no exception. He stumbled briefly on hot ashes, burying the ground in a thick layer of sandy grey and hiding those treacherous tree roots.

After a few minutes worth of running, Sasuke could hear the clanging of metal, the hissing of the sparks as weapons clashed. He was getting close.

'_There's someone with him!' _Someone shouted from above Sasuke, making the boy look up in shock. An armour-clad Anbu was pointing directly at him. '_It's his brother! Satsuki, get him!'_

Sasuke dropped his gaze from the trees and immediately started running deeper into the forest, adrenalin pounding through his veins and making his heart thud painfully against his rib cage. He had to get to Itachi and help him with this battle – they needed to help each other in this…this…?

Sasuke's feet stopped abruptly, his body freezing. Behind the thick, gritty cloud of dust were two faded silhouettes, their bodies hardly distinguishable. Sasuke blinked, waved the dust from his eyes furiously. Forcing his feet forward, he clung onto a smouldering tree trunk and peered at the figures. The dust was clearing now; the two people – Anbu, Sasuke guessed – were… talking? One was kneeling, hands gripping at his chest as if in pain, whilst the other stood looking down at him.

Something about the situation unnerved Sasuke, and he inched around the tree trunk in order to get a better look. The Anbu ordered to chase after him, Satsuki, wasn't anywhere in sight. He breathed a shaky sigh of relief, his fingernails digging painfully into the bark of the tree as he attempted to move closer to the two people, and still remain hidden. The clash of weaponry flooded his ears, crackling embers shivered and spat underfoot as he walked forward oh so slowly.

A sudden hand clamped down hard onto his mouth from behind, and for a moment Sasuke thought _Itachi, _before a cruel voice whispered harshly into his ear, 'I've got you now.' Five nails dug mercilessly into his cheek, making his eyes water with the pain. 'If you know what's good for you, Sasuke, then you'll come back to Konoha with me. Being this close to the border? And following your S-Rank murderer of a brother who just so _happened_ to be heading towards it aswell? Why, anyone would think that you're…' he paused, tightening his grip on the young teen's mouth, ignoring the leaking tears that ran over the back of his knuckles. '…trying to help him out of the country.'

Sasuke tried to shake his head, but the man was holding him too tightly. He breathed hard through his nostrils, trying to move out of the painful grip that was rendering him useless.

'Don't fight against me,' Satsuki muttered, reaching with his free hand into the belt of his armour. Sasuke's eyes widened as he heard a gentle clink of metal; a kunai being withdrawn from its sheath behind him. Panic laced his veins, his heart racing.

'You know that aiding a criminal demands a… punishment, right?' Satsuki said, lifting the Uchiha's face up to expose his chin. The dark eyes below him were shimmering with tears; although Satsuki realised that they weren't the only things shining there. The boy was angry; his sharingan were slowly revolving in his irises, flaring red and spinning gently.

'Oh don't give me that look Uchiha,' he smiled wickedly, holding Sasuke's chin and flicking the kunai up underneath it. It nicked the skin, causing a tiny bead of blood to rise to the surface. 'You're completely at my mercy now. Make one wrong move and I'll slice your throat from ear to ear, understand me?'

When he didn't receive so much as a whimper from the boy, Satsuki pressed the kunai harder to the fragile neck. 'Answer me Uchiha,' he spat through gritted teeth.

But Sasuke couldn't bring himself to answer. Not even with a knife at his throat. No, he was too… absorbed in something else.

The two figures were still a few metres away from him, still in the same positions, still doing nothing other than talking – although _now_, Sasuke could vaguely make out the identity of one of them. The one lying slumped on his knees, in pain, was Itachi. His _brother_.

Satsuki followed the boy's gaze over towards Itachi and the Anbu soldier. The plan is working, he thought, trying to stifle his laughter. Seeing the criminal literally on his knees was so _so_ amusing to him, knowing that his team had captured him was just down right hilarious.

'Go on,' Satsuki said, dropping his hand from the boy's tender face, pulling his nails from the soft skin with a scratch. 'Scream for your beloved brother. I'm sure you've done it a thousand times.'

Sasuke gratefully drew in a huge breath, his lungs aching for the smoky air around him. His lips felt bruised, his cheeks wet and bleeding. 'Itachi!' He shouted, twisting in his captor's grip like a flailing animal. 'Itachi! Itachi get up!' Satsuki's laughter rang in his ears like a sickening melody, his own heart thumping like a metronome. 'Itachi!'

Itachi turned his head slightly to one side, looking blankly at Sasuke who struggled to reach him. He smiled weakly, obviously in pain, before opening his mouth. Sasuke couldn't catch the whispered words escaping from his brother's lips; he could only stare desperately at that luscious mouth in vain. Itachi did say one thing, however it wasn't directed at him though, but at the Anbu ninja above him. Sasuke strained to hear it, but couldn't.

Everything from then on seemed to go in slow motion. Sasuke hadn't noticed, or maybe he simply didn't want to notice, that the Anbu standing above his brother's body was carrying a heavy-duty katana in his hands. It seemed to slide through Itachi's chest like a knife through butter; Itachi only jerked once, his body jumping as the blade slid deeper and deeper and deeper before –

_Popping, oh God it actually popped as it pierced the skin _

- through the other side.

Someone was screaming, so so loudly that it seemed to echo, rippling through the trees and the scarred leaves for what seemed like hours.

Sasuke vaguely realised, as he watched his brother's body slump backwards, _sliding_ wetly off the blade, that the scream was coming from his own dry lips. This could not. Be happening. There was no way! Had something happened with the fire jutsu? The Anbu? The whole plan?

'Itachi!' He shouted, running forward to his brother and catching his falling body. _Slump_, it went into his outstretched hands, like a dead weight. 'Itachi!' The name trickling from his lips so effortlessly now. The only word that ran through his mind was that single name. That single, lovely name.

Sasuke furiously wiped his tears with the back of one hand, staring down at his brother's pale face, the eyes glassy. He smiled at him. 'Sasuke,' he said weakly, wincing as he tried to move his body. 'You shouldn't be here… you should be at the…'

'I don't care about the fucking border,' he replied, 'I care about _you_ and that's why I'm here. I'm going to save you, Itachi, I'm going to…'

He sobbed, looking down at the horrible stain spreading through Itachi's shirt like red paint, his voice disappearing in a helpless rack of tears. He could never heal him, not in front of the Anbu who were slowly but surely surrounding the two of them. If he made any move to rush his sibling to a town or nearby hospital, they would both be killed.

He couldn't save him. He couldn't… couldn't…

'Sasuke, look at me,' Itachi said, his voice rasping as he forced his lungs to rise and fall quicker and quicker. Sasuke turned to face him, cheeks bleeding and stinging with his tears. 'Sasuke, you weren't meant to see this. You weren't meant to be here… forgive me.'

Sasuke nodded. 'Of course,' he muttered breathlessly, 'Of course I'll forgive you – but you're not going to die Itachi, I'll help you, I promised I would!' He was desperate now, his voice nothing more than a heartfelt whimper.

Itachi looked at him gently, his eyes softening as he began to relax. 'Promises can be broken, you know that. Get yourself somewhere safe, away from here. Run. Run and wait for a signal.'

'A – a signal? Itachi… Itachi?'

There was no reply. No 'I love you'. No final parting words like in a romance.

_This isn't a fairytale, Sasuke. There isn't always going to be a happy ending for us. _

Those words had never been truer, Sasuke thought to himself as he lowered Itachi's dead body to the floor. He was a fool for thinking anything but.

As Sasuke ran from the forest, leaving Itachi's corpse to the Anbu ninja who watched him go (for surely with one Uchiha dead, their goal was complete now, their task to kill the criminal fulfilled) he couldn't help but let those treacherous tears fall. They dripped down his cheeks, fell down his neck and wetted his hair as he ran.

'I love you Itachi,' he repeated in his mind, over and over and over again.

It was all he could do.

* * *

'Dispose of the body, leave the youngest Uchiha for the time being,' said the masked Anbu, wiping the bloodied katana on the bark of a gnarled oak tree. The other team members removed their masks, flexed their arms and shifted the metal armour plates on their chests. One sighed, one cracked their neck, one removed their mask. None of them could bring themselves to look at the corpse of Itachi Uchiha, lying their so still and frozen. His skin was turning a dull grey, his lips fading to pale blue.

'We return to Konoha then, Tsunade?' One asked.

The Anbu dropped the sword onto the floor with a thud. Removing the animal mask, blonde hair, matted slightly, fell from two ponytails bunched roughly behind her face. She glanced down at the Uchiha's body, nudged it slightly with the toe of her boot. It rolled to one side.

'Yes,' Tsunade said, wiping her hands on her trousers. Her eyes flicked up to follow Sasuke's route, the boy had already disappeared from view without a word.

'We return to Konoha.'

* * *

A/N: Please, nobody hate me. And anyway, this is not the last chapter! You heard right, there will infact be one more chapter. An epilogue, if you will. I'm sure you'll all love it. All of you.

(Because I know the majority of you voted for a happy ending, right? I haven't ignored you guys!)

Come on, that's got to be a big hint, ne? :3

I apologise if this chapter was not good. I don't know, I could've done better I think, but I really want to end this story and move on. My writing has changed since this story started, so I want to complete this one and get it all done. I love writing it though, so I can only hope you enjoy reading it.

Review please? I love you all for sticking with me this far. :3

If you can, go and listen to the song 'Stigmata' by the Jrock group Rentrer en Soi. The English translation of the lyrics are truly moving, and fit this chapter unbelievably.

So... yeah! Happy New Year everyone! Keep an eye out for the FINAL epilogue of this story in a few weeks or so.

(And if you're confused about Tsunade betraying both Itachi and Sasuke? Read this chapter again and piece together the clues. ;3)

REVIEW! (I get so many hits and hardly any reviews per chapter. Seriously. D:) x


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

'Put his body on the table.'

_Slump._

'Pulse?'

'None.'

'Eyesight?'

_The faint click of a flash-light switch. The humming of a tiny bulb. Fingers pulling back an eyelid and shining the light within. _

'Pupils not responding. Dilation is negative.'

'Diagnosis of the body?'

'Dead, Tsunade.'

The Hokage sighed slightly as she took off her gloves, throwing them in the bin at her feet. Itachi's hollow eyes stared blankly at the ceiling; the sharingan melting from them slowly like red and black treacle, seeping into the tear ducts and leaving the eyes an unusual white. Empty of colour, of power. She watched his eyes curiously before raising a hand and prising his lips open. The bones in the jaw had already started to freeze up under the process of rigormortis, and it took a bit of effort to crack the mouth open. The inside of Itachi's mouth was dry, the gums at the roof of his mouth were quickly becoming a dirty reddish-black colour and his tongue had already begun to swell.

Tsunade removed her fingers, the flesh around the dry mouth sinking back into shape as she did so. 'Pass me the blue box on the shelf, please,' she signalled to the medic nin by her side. The man nodded and walked slowly across the room, his footsteps echoing around the white walls.

'Don't you think it's a bit… unnerving?' He said, reaching for the old box and blowing the dust off the plastic lid. _Resurgum_ _tablets, _was scrawled in cheap biro across the top of a yellowed label.

'What do you mean?' Tsunade asked, pulling her tussled hair out of its bands and retying them neatly. The medic nin regarded her with hesitance as he spoke. 'I mean, doesn't it bother you that Itachi was so… I don't know… accepting of his death? His wound…' he looked down at the wound in Itachi's stomach, black blood oozing out from the gape in the flesh even in death. '…proves that he didn't even struggle. Why wouldn't he fight to, I don't know, protect Sasuke? Did he not care that his death would affect the boy?'

Tsunade took the box from the rookie's hands, watching as he flinched slightly as if the action itself had awoken him from a daydream. He nervously brushed his gloved hands on his trousers in embarrassment, and Tsunade found herself smiling. 'The problem, Masa, was that he cared too much.'

Masa watched as she gave him a brief, soft smile before opening up the box of Resurgum pills. She emptied three onto her palm. Masa regarded them with interest, and he couldn't help but lean in closer for a better look. The pills themselves weren't anything out of the ordinary, three little white round circles with no colour or capsule to surround them, however, when Tsunade rattled them together in her hand, he noticed that when they caught the light they sparkled slightly. He watched, curious, as Tsunade opened the corpse's rigid lips and placed the three tablets on the dry tongue. They dissolved in the tiny amount of saliva that remained on the muscle, giving off a slight hiss as they vanished. He glanced up at his superior, watching as her eyes remained fixated on the disappearing tablets.

'What were they for?' He asked quietly, already knowing the answer but in a way not wanting to believe it. Tsunade only briefly glanced at him, closing Itachi's stiff jaw with one forceful press. The teeth clacked together in an odd clunk of bone meeting bone. Masa's stomach churned with a horrible flip-flop.

'Resurgum… was a substance apparently found on one of the bodies in the very first Great Ninja War.' Tsunade began, flipping the box shut. Dust particles floated up in the hazy light of the bare bulb, dangling from the ceiling. 'It was said that the tears of the dead fell into the soil and were absorbed by the Gods of the Earth. The deities took pity on the victims of such jealous rage, and allowed one man to have his life returned to him. It was said that the Gods sent the tears and blood of the human back to the surface world, where they entered his dead body through the gaping wound in his mouth.'

Masa stared at her, having heard the story before, but never told with such authentic belief, such real meaning behind the words. Tsunade turned slightly, placing the box on the shelf and pushing it to the very back, out of sight.

'Everyone has heard that old folk tale,' Masa said unsurely. 'I mean, it can't be more than that. Really.'

'...You sure about that? Everyone has heard the story, but nobody other than a very select few know the truth,' she replied.

Masa swallowed the hard lump in his throat as he looked at Itachi's body on the solid autopsy table. There was no movement in the body. Itachi was still as dead as he had been when they placed him there. The light bulb above Masa's head swung a little, in a way that seemed slightly ominous. The light cast shadows behind him, and he fought the reaction to turn around wildly like some frightened child.

'…Check his eyes…'

Masa turned his head sharply. 'Wha…what? Why?' His eyes were round and fearful like a doe in the headlights, his mind screaming 'no.'

'Check his eyes, Masa.' Tsunade's voice was firm, but not all that reassuring. Masa detected the slight nervousness to her hushed voice, the slight feeling of _maybethiswon'tworkinthewayweplanned_ tremor lacing her throat.

He forced his head to nod, picking up the flashlight that he had placed by Itachi's foot and staring at it as if it was going to kick him in the face at any given moment. It didn't even move an inch. Itachi was _dead_.

Thumbing the switch nervously, Masa reached out a shaking finger to pull back one rubbery eyelid, the dry skin feeling like old leather beneath his own. Black eyelashes prickled against his fingertip as he exposed the glistening white eye; the absence of the sharingan so apparent. Had it just dissolved back into Itachi's settled blood? Is that what was even supposed to happen? Flicking the flashlight on, Masa hesitated briefly before shining the beam directly into Itachi's eye.

Nothing happened.

'Dilation…negative,' Masa said, pausing only to give a small sigh of relief. His shaking hands relaxed slightly as he pulled back, repeating the flashlight test again. 'Nothing. No movement at all, no reaction to the light, no nothing.' He turned to look at Tsunade, standing over his shoulder. 'Maybe the Resurgum didn't…'

The sound was so slight, so non-existent, that Masa was shocked to have heard it. It could have been a figment of his imagination, as many would have passed it off to be, but it simply wasn't. The cold, dead sound of nails scratching metal trickled into the autopsy room. Tsunade's eyes widened as she placed a hand of Masa's shoulder.

'Look,' she said, gesturing to Itachi's right hand side. His hand was clenched like some horrific spider on the autopsy table, his nails shuddering against it in, digging in. Masa stared helplessly, clasping his hands to his ears as the corpse gave a shuddering gasp – dead chest heaving upwards and filling with rich air. Itachi came back to life with a scream.

* * *

The border of the waterfall village was a tranquil, quiet place to seek refuge. Sasuke stumbled helplessly into a derelict shrine; the faint words of old Japanese scriptures lay dusty on the offering table, housing the calligraphy-written name Haniyasu-hiko – the God of the Earth. The shrine hadn't been used in years.

Sasuke broke in through the old doors with a crash, sending dusty moths sprawling for the moonlight that now entered their home. Gasping, he fell to the floor, moaning as he grabbed at the stitch across his side – the sharp, agonising pain ripping through his muscles. His chakra stream was burning inside his blood; racking his body with prickles at his exhaustion. He'd been running for so long, and for such a long way.

Crossing Konoha's border hadn't given him any trouble; only the heavy rain had slowed him down. He refused to let the shock of his brother's death affect him as he ran – he had to follow his instructions and get somewhere safe.

Now, lying on the old floor of a disused shrine, the shock and overwhelming despair truly had the chance to sink in.

_I've been through this before, _he reminded himself, _I've coped with loss and death and sin… But there was always the knowledge that he was alive. He could always come back to me. He could always be found. Now…_

_Now I'll have to go through this loss on my own, without him here. _

Sasuke let out an anguished cry as he rolled onto his back, throwing one arm across his eyes as his tears slipped down his cheeks to settle on the floor by his temples. Itachi was dead. He was _dead_. He was…

His wet clothes, still soaked from the downpour that had luckily covered his trail as he ran, clung to his heaving chest. The large collar of his top stuck wetly to his neck, the fabric no longer starchy enough to stand up straight. His black hair lay flicked across his forehead, the spikes flattened by the water and drip-dripping onto the floorboards, even now.

The room smelt strongly of dust and damp wood, and like all temples still managed to hold onto that weak perfume smell of jasmine incense. Wiping angrily at his tears, Sasuke stared up at the rickety ceiling. The wooden beams were sagging in the very middle. Under the pressure of the two-tiered pagoda style flooring, and maybe even the weight of tens of years, the place was beginning to succumb to a quiet crumble. If he looked close enough, Sasuke could just make out the dark night sky through the expanse of the shrine roof. Moths and dust floated in the moonlight like the forgotten whispers of prayers.

The night was young, and from outside came the screeching of a barn owl, closely followed by the howling of a fox. Life carried on outside the decaying wood of the temple. Things were living, stalking, killing. Sasuke hesitantly placed a sweaty hand on his chest, feeling his lungs rise and fall, his heartbeat thumping steadily now. He was alive.

Itachi wasn't.

'Nn…why…' Sasuke moaned, feeling hot tears prickle at the corner of his eyes. 'It's not…_fair_.'

He thought that for that brief time he'd spent with his brother, he'd had everything. Something brotherly, something intimate, something so unique and horribly delightful that nobody could ever understand. It was disgusting; every time Itachi's hand stroked his chest, his fingers brushed his nipples and found their way into his open mouth to fondle with his tongue. It was sick.

But the way Itachi's tongue would wrap itself around his own, the way the hot kisses would eat away at his lips, face and neck… the way his stronger body would melt so easily into Sasuke's, possessing and violating and desecrating it with such wonderful passion…

It was wonderful. It had _been_ wonderful.

Lying on the old wet floorboards, Sasuke found his back arching ever so slightly. The back of his head was throbbing to be held in a firm hand, his hair sticking to his neck resembled – for the briefest of moments – five slender fingers wrapping around his throat.

_I wanted you to hurt me. _

Something was stirring deep inside his body, the same feeling he had whenever Itachi's fingers would sweep down his stomach to his erection and touch it _so faintly_ – a whisper of a touch.

He could imagine Itachi holding him by the throat, sturdy hands squeezing just enough to make him feel the pressure of each digit.

_I wanted you to take me with you._

He could squeeze his own hand there, just a little, just a tiny bit, just to imagine Itachi's hand there instead.

_I wanted to die by your hands. _

Sasuke's eyes widened, cracking open through dry tears as he flung his arms down at his sides, away from his tender throat. He coughed loudly, drawing in breath through his lungs in loud gasps. Running for days through the rain and wind had made him delirious; his forehead was beginning to burn up and it was no longer rain falling down his cheeks, but tiny beads of sweat. He needed to get out of the shrine and find somewhere to stay for the night. A town wouldn't be too far. He only needed a bed and some water…

Forcing himself to turn onto his stomach, Sasuke pushed up from the ground on shaking hands and trembling arms. His knees cracked into place, the very bones protesting at his movement. Letting out an angry shout of pain, he ran back out of the wooden doors and into the forest, ignoring how his vision jolted from side to side as he swayed on his feet. Finding a worn path leading to the right of the shrine, he took it.

The moon watched him from above.

* * *

Masa was standing in the corner of the room as he watched Tsunade approach the heaving body of the eldest Uchiha. His chest was rising and falling fast – as though he had been running for days on end. His throat was making a terrible rasping noise with every intake of air.

Tsunade leaned over the body, picking up the torch that her apprentice had dropped, and shone the light directly into Itachi's eye. The pupil dilated, and the dry mouth beneath her let out a low moan.

'He's definitely alive,' Tsunade said, flicking the torch off and pocketing it. She turned to look over at Masa, still standing nervously in the corner of the autopsy room. 'Pass me that roll of bandage, please.' She gestured with one hand to the neatly stacked gauzes on the shelf near Masa's right hand side. He passed them over, curious all of a sudden.

'You're going to wrap the wound?' He asked, stepping a little closer to the body. 'That's right. Now he's alive, his heart is going to be pumping the blood back around his system - and where's it gonna go?' She pointed at the large, dark gaping hole in his stomach. Masa looked closer; fresh, red blood was already starting to seep out of the crusty edge. 'Straight back out of him,' she said.

Masa peered over the expanse of blood and raw flesh and into Itachi's eyes. The sharingan still hadn't formed, as he was kind of expecting it to. Shouldn't it have formed once again? He was going to ask Tsunade this, but his thoughts were quickly halted as Itachi's body gave a shuddering lurch on the autopsy table. The Uchiha gave a low moan, something between a scream and a shout that lay trapped in his dry throat, unable to shift, writhing slightly, neck cracking as he twisted and turned like a dying snake.

'Masa, turn him over, turn him over NOW!'

The medical assistant, frightened by Tsunade's sudden anger and desperation, quickly moved to grab Itachi's shoulders. He pulled him onto his side, just as the shaking man vomited onto the floor.

'Get him some water,' Tsunade said, pulling back Itachi's long hair and tucking it behind his ear, keeping it away from his sweaty forehead. His injured stomach heaved again, and more vomit spilled onto the floor.

Masa swallowed hard, resisting the urge to be sick himself, and hurried to the water machine just outside the room. The corridor was deathly still as he quickly filled a plastic cup and rushed back into the room. The door slammed shut behind him.

'Here,' he said, offering Tsunade the cup. She muttered her thanks and pressed it to Itachi's lips, turning his head slightly to do so. Cool water trickled into his mouth, and a huge rasping sigh fell from it.

'Sa…s…nn…'

And Masa thought to himself, _it almost sounded like his brother's name._

Itachi's eyes closed as he slipped into unconsciousness.

'A room for one?' The old lady asked, flicking a withered finger through the pages of a large notebook. Sasuke nodded. 'Yes. I just need to rest for the night, please.'

'It's very late dear,' she tutted, glancing up through round-rimmed glasses at the boy standing before her foyer desk. His hair and clothes were soaked from the downpour outside, and his skin was visibly shivering, despite the stoic impression he was giving off. 'Is there something wrong? Do your parents know you're out here this late at night?'

Sasuke glanced at the floor, then at the sidewall where an old scroll hung. 'Motenashi', it read in scrawled hiragana. 'Hospitality'. He quickly looked back at the old woman, feeling her eyes boring deep into his own. Ancient grey-blue meeting dark, deep black.

'They know I'm here. I'm taking a break for a while… just needed to get out of the house for a bit.'

'This late at night?' She reached for a pen and began writing in a slot in the notebook. Sasuke just shrugged. He didn't want to make the lie any more complex.

'Here you are then dear…' She was dangling a gold key in front of him, the metal catching the dull light of the foyer slightly. Sasuke took it quickly. 'Room 7. Up the stairs and third on the left,' she said, offering him a smile. He nodded, before quickly heading to the staircase. Three steps up, and he was forced to stop as the woman began speaking again. 'There are some fresh clothes in the cupboards,' she said, turning to her notebook and closing it shut. 'If you need anything, just come back down here and knock on my door,' she gestured to the room she was heading for. Sasuke nodded again, before jumping back up the stairs, two at a time.

His room was very small; the only pieces of furniture were a small two-tiered bookcase, a tiny cupboard, a readily made futon under the window, and an en-suite bathroom with toilet, sink and shower. A large mirror stretched out on one wall. It was all nice and clean, considering the remote location of the inn itself, and the old appearance it seemed to have contradicted the inside. In the room next door, Sasuke could hear the faint shuffling of footsteps. There weren't many others here… None of them were ninjas, he quickly realised, as no strong chakra signatures were present. People who stayed here were most like travellers.

He was on the very edge of Waterfall Country, following his brother's orders to get away from Konoha and escape the ANBU. A strange niggling thought ate away at the back of Sasuke's mind, though. He didn't believe the ninja squadrons would chase him, not with his brother dead. Itachi was the one they wanted. Itachi was always the one.

Sasuke sighed, flopping down gratefully onto the padded futon and pulling a rough woolly blanket over him. It was slightly scratchy as he held it tightly underneath his chin, but it was delightfully warm against his damp skin. His wet clothes lay drying in the corner of the room; he had slipped on a yukata and pair of thin shorts that had, as promised, been waiting for him in the tiny cupboard. Not only that, though, Sasuke thought as he glanced over the blanket and at the cupboard opposite him. There had also been a pair of traditional geta shoes and tabi socks. Sasuke had picked them up carefully, lifting them out of the dark cupboard with care, almost like he was handling a brittle baby bird instead of sturdy shoes.

He hadn't seen geta like these since he was a little kid, watching as his mother wrapped herself up in expensive silk kimonos with huge obi-belts, blooming at the back of the dress like giant flowers. He used to watch her carefully applying red lip-stain to the corners of her mouth, seated in front of her vanity dresser. Her long black hair would be tied tightly back against her scalp, fixed with a sparkly comb to keep all of it in place. Sometimes she would look over her shoulder at the open door, smiling at Sasuke as she asked him to help her get ready for the party, wedding, reunion… countless events filled with delicate women and handsome men. Sasuke could only ever shake his head before hurrying off to his room, maybe to find his brother and ask him for the hundredth time why they weren't going with their parents.

'It's an adults-only event, Sasuke,' he would say softly, gentle fingers running through unruly black hair. 'No children are allowed.'

'Why?' He couldn't help but ask. That ever-endearing child-like question that Itachi heard oh so often, uttered from that sweet mouth with such naïveté.

'Because,' he replied, taking the child in his arms as he sat cross-legged on his bed, 'the adults want some time away from their kids. They don't want screaming babies or crying toddlers running around when they're trying to drink and dance. You understand, right?'

Sasuke nodded. He played with his fingers in slight embarrassment before he turned to face his brother. 'I… I want to go one day. I want to be an adult and go to A Party… Itachi?' He nestled into his brother's chest; wrapping Itachi's arms around his back as he tried to envelope himself in his very presence.

'Hm?'

'Will you take me one day? I want to dress up and dance and wear nice shoes and clothes.'

Itachi smiled down at his sibling, looking deep into those shiny black eyes that gazed up at him lovingly. 'Of course I will, Otouto. I'd love to take you, and one day I will. I pr-'

Sasuke had placed the geta down on the floor then, with a hollow clunk, effectively ending the haunting memory. It felt strange to remember promises that hadn't been _fulfilled_. There was no time now, not for anything.

Silly really, Sasuke thought to himself as he stared up at the old ceiling of his temporary bedroom, clutching the blanket to his chest. You don't realise what you've got until it's gone… how true indeed. How very, sickeningly true.

Sasuke buried his face in his pillow and let his tears melt into the fabric. 'Oh my God…' he whispered, muffling his words with his pillow. 'Oh my _God_…_Itachi_…'

* * *

And then, miles away in the middle of Konoha, something happened. Itachi's eyes cracked open.

Light.

Bright white light.

And.

And a.

And a ceiling.

And more light and andohmygodI'mgoingtobesick –

Someone's hands were on his head, turning his face just in time for him to vomit off the edge of his… bed? When did he…?

He curled the fingers of one hand, _hard_. Metal lay cold under his fingertips. This wasn't a bed, but a table. An operating table. _O…Oper…_

Forcing his body up onto his elbows, Itachi jerked upright, like a zombie from a grave in some timeless horror show. Masa and Tsunade flinched slightly as he did so, watching his body as it shook on weak arms. His skin was sickly, and small red blood-specks were gathering under his flesh like deep dark bruises, as if the corpse had been bludgeoned with a dull, thick baseball bat. Dark circles were growing under his eyes, creeping across his skin with each second that passed.

He coughed loudly, the sound ringing hoarsely throughout the room. Saliva speckled his lips and flicked onto the tabletop, and he ran his tongue over his mouth to try and swallow. His tonsils felt like golf balls lodged in the sides of his neck, and he groaned as he tried to look around him, feeling them ache in his throat.

The first person he laid eyes upon was the Hokage's assistant. He was a dark haired boy, with piercing blue eyes that were wide in shock, or horror, maybe even a mixture of the two. He was wringing his hands together and occasionally glancing at the woman on his left. The Hokage.

'Tsu…Tsunade…am I…' Itachi began, only to break out in a long rasping cough. His tongue was heavy, and stuck to the roof of his mouth. Tsunade reached out a hand and helped him up into a better position on the table, gesturing to Masa to grab his legs. Together they moved him onto the edge, leaving his thin legs hanging an inch or so above the floor.

'It's okay Itachi,' she said, patting him on the shoulder as he lowered his head, bracing his hands on his knees. His hands were trembling. 'You made it. You're alive. The Resurgum tablets worked. They _worked_. Everything's okay.'

Masa, hovering near his superior's side, waited for some kind of reaction from the Uchiha. For some strange reason, he found himself wanting to reach out and touch the man before him, just to brush his fingers against that smooth white skin of his exposed shoulder, just to _see_. This couldn't really be happening, could it? He watched Itachi's forearms shudder, his back arching and his spine cracking into place as he sat there, hunched over like a gargoyle on a church spire.

But Itachi didn't give a reaction. There were no tears of joy, no screams of anguish at being torn from death and thrown back into life. Itachi merely sat there, shivering, the blood from the wound in his chest now lightly sprinkling the white bandages with red. It was healing up; the blood was darkening. His trousers suddenly seemed far too big on his skeletal body.

'Things aren't okay.' Itachi said, his voice quiet, and yet seeming so overpoweringly loud between the three of them. 'Our plan won't have worked… until… I find out where Sasuke is.' He turned his head up, wincing, to look at Masa.

'Tell me…' he paused for breath, 'that my brother is safe.'

Masa, although wanting to answer, found for a brief moment that he couldn't. His mouth opened and gaped like a fish out of water, and he suddenly found himself lost in the empty gaze of Itachi Uchiha's eyes.

'Tell me!'

'Y-Yes, he's… well, we don't know where he is exactly, but the Anbu aren't tracking him…'

Itachi snapped his head to look up at Tsunade, standing with her arms crossed under her chest. 'Is this…true? He's not being followed?'

'That's right. After your death, the Anbu were no longer concerned with his capture, after all, he poses no real threat to them. Once you've found him, I'll presume him dead to the country. You know how the plan goes, Itachi, and anyway…' She unfolded her arms and moved to stand in front of Itachi. Carefully, she took his cold, clammy hand in hers and pushed the palm upward. Thin blue veins pulsed under his skin like the delicate thread work of a spider web.

'…He won't have gone far.'

Itachi turned his eyes up to look at her, before following her gaze down to his palm. His skin was sweating slightly in her grip. 'You need to send him a sign, like you promised.'

Pressing a glowing fingertip onto the central chakra point of Itachi's hand, Tsunade channelled a little chakra into his flesh. Masa watched, fascinated, as a black speck appeared in the junction between the man's fore and middle finger. It grew. Within seconds, the tiny black spot the size of a full stop had spread out like some kind of diseased stain, until it had filled Itachi's entire palm. Masa glanced worriedly from the Hokage, to the Uchiha, and back to his hand. Nobody quite knew where to look.

'Do it now,' Tsunade said, removing her fingertip and taking a step back. As if on cue, Itachi's head lowered and he sighed heavily through his lips. Beneath his tousled hair and long, black bangs, his brow appeared to be creased in pain, and it was only then that Masa realised exactly why.

Something was pressing up under his skin, pushing, pushing, and pushing until the skin just _had_ to rip.

A large beak was coming up out of Itachi's hand. _A beak – oh my God it's a beak? A bird? _Masa thought, before watching as a head, two sharp eyes, a feathered body, (and two clawed feet that hooked onto his weak fingers like branches, he noticed) crawled its way out. As the bird's tail flicked from his palm, the black stain vanished and Itachi slumped, exhausted, forward. The bird gave a harsh caw of indignation at being awakened from its slumber. It hadn't been called forth from its owner in many years.

Its eyes seemed to analyse everything around it. It cracked its head towards its owner – and the words _master_ seemed to draw it to him. Hopping up the limp wrist, it was able to feel his weak pulse, a _strange pulse – like it had slowed right down, stopped even, _before the bird clawed up to Itachi's shoulder, where it sat there briefly, tightening his claws as it leaned slightly towards him.

It opened its beak and pecked delicately at Itachi's lips; reddening them with tiny cuts. Itachi's half-lidded eyes flickered towards the bird on his shoulder, awakening just slightly at the pain emanating from his mouth. 'Stop that,' he said quietly, smiling as the bird released his bottom lip. He ran his tongue over it slowly, wincing at the sting as his saliva (there was more of it now, flowing into his mouth a little easier) traced the tiny wounds. The big crow shuffled its weight from foot to foot, it's amber eyes glowing, glistening, _analysing. _His master was _hurt, worried, fearful_, and yet, a tiny sense of relief lay within his blood, a relief that meant someone somewhere was safe.

Masa, standing slightly in the background now, watched carefully. The crow was larger than a conventional bird that you might see roosting somewhere, and the jet-black feathers, the rounded head and hooked feet all seemed to shimmer and throb with life. It was made out of Itachi's chakra, right from the flesh to the eyes. It was born from him, his very own familiar.

'It's been a while, hasn't it?' Itachi's voice sweetly lilted the air, still smiling at his companion. It hopped down to his lap and steadied itself on his trembling knees. 'I haven't had to call you like this for some time now.' Something in his voice suggested amusement, or humorous irony. The bird was listening to him, and Masa realised then that it actually understood him.

'I need you to do me a favour,' he said, lifting a hand and gently stroking the crow's silken head. 'My brother has been separated from me. I need you to find him and let me know where he is. He might be…' He paused, stumbling for the word that somehow eluded him. '…not himself.'

_Of course, _Masa thought. Sasuke hadn't been here, watching Itachi's resurrection, watching as the dead rose and became the living once again. Sasuke didn't know. He _didn't know. _How distraught could the boy be? It had become quite common knowledge to him now that the boy's stoic, icy persona quickly broke down around his brother, so how on earth could Itachi's death be affecting him?

Itachi's crow screeched it's understanding, before taking flight from his master's lap. Almost lovingly, the bird scratched his claws gently on the man's cheeks, before flying out of the door that Masa quickly opened just in time. As the bird flew past him, he caught the metallic scent of blood-infused chakra on its wings.

'And now what?' Tsunade said, leaning over the Uchiha in order to examine his bandaged wounds. His eyes were vacant of any pain, and he closed them shut, suddenly very tired.

'Now…' Itachi swallowed, sighing as he relaxed a little. His head hurt. '…Now we wait.'

* * *

_It flew up over the treetops of Konoha's forests. _

_Soaring, black bird on a black night sky. _

_It was midnight._

_The crow's shrill carr-carrs seemed to almost reach the moon. _

_The clouds. _

_The stars._

* * *

Sasuke's eyes were burning. It was 1am, and the tears hadn't quite stopped flowing. They were no longer streaming down his face, but instead had slowed to a thick trickle down his cheeks, wetting his hairline and settling warmly into the curve of his ear.

His eyes were open, staring blankly at the dark wall just beside him. The edge of the window-ledge was a glimmer of silver in the black room; the moonlight falling just barely through the slated blinds that he had pulled down over the glass. The other tenants in the inn had been silenced into sleep; he'd heard the light downstairs in the foyer clicking off with the humming sound of dying electricity. In Sasuke's mind, he could see the wall beside him breathing in and out, in and out, the wooden timbers sighing above him, the floors creaking whimsically below. His futon seemed to sway like a bed out at sea, rising and falling with the movement of gentle, rippling waves. He was exhausted, cold, and feeling slightly feverish.

Sleep was taking over his body like a drug he just couldn't fight.

And still, Sasuke couldn't help but think of his brother.

Thoughts like _he won't be coming back, he's dead and gone and won't be coming back, he's dead and it's my fault and I'm probably all to blame_ kept screaming through his mind. At one point, the horrific thought of what he would have to do with Itachi's body – if he would ever see it again – hovered in his head like a poisonous gas. Sick-tasting bile rose in his throat. He didn't know if Itachi would have a proper burial. Knowing the Anbu, he'd likely be tossed down into a grave somewhere in the forests, with no stone to mark him. He could imagine the warriors spitting on him as they kicked dirt over his face, filthy, sick, twisted Uchiha who had forced his _own sibling_ into sodomy. They would never understand. They wouldn't ever know.

Sasuke's fists tightened into his pillow as he drew his knees up to his chest, trying to calm his thoughts as he slipped gratefully into sleep. His dreams, however, were troubled.

They weren't pleasant dreams. Certainly, from the crow's point of view, sitting on the very edge of the outer windowsill and peering through a gap in the blinds, the boy appeared to be stuck in some fitful night terror. His body trembled beneath the covers; his arms twitching above, sprawled out at funny angles.

In Sasuke's dream, he was walking through a corridor. There were hundreds of doors on either side of him, and for some reason he seemed to know that Itachi was behind one of them. He hesitated before trying one. The door handle was brass, and felt cold in his hand. As he pushed it, he wasn't all that surprised to find it open up onto a forest, filled with ferns and bracken and thick, sturdy oak trees. He peered in just a little, breathing in the woodland air that smelt of cool damp earth.

He closed the door and moved onto the next one. A sandy beach with crashing white waves lay in wait for him. An icy snow-capped summit behind the next. A steaming rainforest, a scorched desert, a strange crop field that whispered in a non-existent breeze. Finally, (_finally?_ He thought to himself) he had reached the right door. Itachi was behind this one. He knew it, in a strange way that you can only ever know something for sure in a dream. He practically ran in, pushing the door open and letting it swing open on its hinges.

Itachi was sitting on a large black sofa when he entered. At the sound of the door clicking gently shut, he turned his head to acknowledge him. Something in his scarlet eyes told Sasuke that he had been expecting him.

A single finger beckoned him over, and he walked obediently over as if Itachi had just placed a noose around his neck and tugged. Itachi was smiling as his younger brother came slowly forward, hesitating for the briefest of moments before sinking down into the plush couch.

Sasuke sank and sank and sank into soft crushed velvet, sighing contently as he felt his brother move over and press him gently deeper. Itachi was on his chest, his arms, his throat and legs. His black hair, long and loose, stuck to his lips as he kissed him. A wet tongue licked its way into his mouth, sucking and drawing breath from his lungs.

He loved his brother. God, he loved Itachi so _much_. In an ocean of velvet he found himself clinging onto him, kissing and touching his skin that felt so hot he could almost melt.

'I want you to know,' Itachi was muttering between placing kisses on his lips and neck, 'I want you to know that I'm always going to love you. I want you to know and I want you to understand and I want you to _believe me Sasuke, _because oh Gods I want you to be mine forever and stay with me always – '

In his dream, Sasuke could feel his brother's tears seeping into his skin. They were as cold as death. _DEATH, _he thought, suddenly realising the heavy, frozen weight of his brother crushing him from above. The warm skin hardened instantly into rigid, thickened flesh; the soft hair matted against his face, and a single voice said in the darkness:

_Your brother is dead your brother is dead your BROTHER is DEAD. _

Terrified, Sasuke tried to scream and push away at the corpse on his chest, only to find his voice gone and his limbs terribly weak.

_You're dying. _

Itachi had –

_You're DYING and you'll be able to kiss and touch and love your beloved brother soon Sasuke oh yes oh yes OH YES._

- Sucked his voice right out of him. His brother's wound was saturating him in sickly-smelling blood, and he couldn't think of when it had even started bleeding.

His hands found purchase and squeezed; whether it was Itachi's neck or forearm he wasn't sure, but he was sure of one thing.

He loved Itachi.

And Itachi had been ripped away from him. Itachi had been turned into a heavy, dull corpse and torn right away from him.

Sasuke awoke from his dream with a shuddering gasp, his face and pillow soaked with tears and sweat. For a moment, he just sat there, bolt upright on his temporary futon, and then he allowed himself to cry. He allowed all of his fear and pain and hurt to seep down his cheeks, not bothering to wipe them away. He didn't care anymore. The dream had made him realise so awfully exactly how much he'd lost; a friend, a lover, a sibling.

A lover he could have found in someone else. A friend he could have one day sought out. A brother… He'd never have again.

_Knock knock knock. _

With tired eyes, Sasuke glanced towards his bedroom door. The corridor light was on, and the silhouetted shape that appeared in the small gap below suggested someone was out there.

'Yes?' He croaked out, surprised at how sore his throat was. He rubbed at his neck, pressing his tonsils tenderly.

'I heard some noises and wondered if you were alright,' a man said from behind the door, his voice deep. 'Can I come in?'

Sasuke put his head in his hands and sighed heavily. He suddenly felt so exhausted and wanted only to sleep. 'No, I'm fine, please…' But the door-handle was being turned even as he spoke. Anger flared up deep within him; all he wanted was to be left alone. 'For God's sake! I said I'm – '

Itachi stepped into the room, holding the doorframe in one hand and the handle in the other. A crow was perched on his shoulder, ruffling its feathers nonchantly.

_Ita…chi?_

'Wh…what…' Sasuke began, choking on his own voice as he tried to speak. Itachi stepped in a little more and closed the door behind him, the small action making Sasuke jump. 'W…what is this? What are you…no, stay there!' He shouted, gripping his hair tightly in one hand as he pointed a shaking hand at his brother. He buried his knuckles deep into his scalp and pulled. Pain brought fresh glistening tears to the very corners of his eyes.

'Don't. Move.'

Itachi stopped, regarding his little brother with a mix of curiosity and dread. The crow sensed fear in the warm air of the room and gave a quiet squawk. Sasuke's eyes flashed up to look at it.

'I swear,' he hissed between gritted teeth, ' - if this is some kind of sick, twisted joke – some kind of, some kind of _game_, I swear I'll kill you.'

Itachi didn't appear to be phased. He chewed his bottom lip, still slightly sore from his bird's affections before answering. ''This…isn't a joke,' he said carefully, taking a step closer to the shuddering boy wrapped up in his covers on the floor. 'Nor is this a game. Sasuke, I need to explain to you what has happened, but to do that, you're going to have to listen to me.'

Sasuke sat there, frozen. He didn't understand what was happening at all. The four walls of the room felt very close, and the room itself seemed to have shrunk in size – but even still, he couldn't help but pull his covers up and around him. He felt weak and exposed beneath this man's gaze.

Itachi stood there, waiting for an answer. His skin was as pale as snow, and to Sasuke's surprise, his eyes with slightly dilated pupils didn't have the sharingan within them. Something about this person seemed different, even though Sasuke couldn't quite place it. He watched as the man reached out a single slender finger and stroked the chest of the crow on his shoulder, perched there.

'I don't care who you're working under,' Sasuke said, hands trembling in his sheets. 'I don't care if you've been sent here by a squadron leader or even the Hokage herself. I'll kill you if you don't leave.'

Itachi's eyebrows arched slightly. 'What are you getting at, Sasuke?' His voice was calm, only enraging Sasuke that much more.

'This, this _genjutsu!_' He shouted, wanting to scream it out instead. 'This _fucking game! _You and your team have already killed him – I can't give you anything more, just get OUT!' He slammed his fist down hard onto the wooden floor beside his futon, not caring if he work the other tennants. A slow, steady ache began to spread through his knuckles, thumping along with his anger until it reached the very inside of his eardrum.

Itachi, seemingly oblivious to his little brother's outrage, crossed the room with easy steps. Reaching the fuming boy on the floor, he sank down onto his knees on the futon before him. Sasuke's anger quickly changed into fear, and upon noticing this, the black crow flew from his master's shoulder and disappeared out of sight. Sasuke's eyes widened as the man crawled onto his bed, not saying a word but instead, reaching out and grabbing the back of his neck. 'What are you doi-' he tried to say, but was quickly cut off.

He was kissing him. He was _kissing him_! The red-hot fury rose in Sasuke's blood, and he raised a fist to punch the man's face away from him, but then, realisation dawned on him. Only one person's lips felt like this. Only his brother had ever ever kissed him this way. _Oh my God…_

The man slowly pulled away; their mouths separating from the kiss softly.

'Oh God… Itachi?'

Itachi smiled. 'You know it's me now, right?' His hand remained on the back of his sibling's neck, fingers curling and relaxing into the soft hair, slightly damp from what he assumed was sweat. He inched his face closer, until he was resting his forehead on the boy's shoulder.

'Now you know this is no genjutsu. Now you know I'm here,' he whispered. Sasuke shivered as he felt the warm breath hitting the side of his neck.

'I thought you were dead,' he replied, wanting to raise his arms and place them around his brother, but not quite finding himself able to. 'I watched you _die_ Itachi. I watched the katana go through your ch-' His voice trailed off, and he hesitantly placed his hands on his brother's shoulders, pushing him firmly away from him. Itachi was dressed in a dark grey shirt, a pair of black trousers and his white leg wrappings. With shaking fingers, he lifted the hem of the shirt. Thick white bandages wound their way around Itachi's stomach, and although there was a faint speckling of blood on the edges, they looked clean. But this was evidence enough that Itachi had indeed been stabbed. This was proof that he shouldn't be in front of Sasuke now. He swallowed a lump of tension in his throat.

'I don't… understand. You're not meant to be here.'

Itachi nodded. 'You're right…You've always been right,' he smiled, unable to help himself as he reached out and brushed his fingertips lightly down his brother's neck. He watched the boy flinch slightly before relaxing a little. This wasn't going too well, but then again, how could he have expected it to go anything but?

'I died, Sasuke.' He decided to try being blunt and going for the serious, no-joke approach. 'That wound was severe enough to kill me, and it did. The Hokage was there, disguised. You never knew she was there.'

'The Hokage?' Sasuke echoed, eyes slightly vacant. 'The Hokage made sure you were _killed_?'

'Yes, but there was another reason. Sasuke, that day when I left you asleep in bed and went to see Tsunade, well, that day we arranged a plan of sorts… sounds silly now, but it was the only way we knew that would revive me. Only one thing can bring the dead back to life, Sasuke. They're called Resurgum pills, like the ones is the old folk tale. Of course,' he added after seeing his brother's wide-eyed look of disbelieving shock, 'they aren't easy to come by, and only the Kages know of specific locations where they are kept.'

Sasuke, still shocked by this sudden onslaught of strange, unbelievable knowledge, remained quiet for a moment. 'So, the Hokage watched you die, made you take some tablets and you were brought back to life. It's as easy as that?'

Itachi nodded slowly. 'I guess you could say that.'

'_Guess_ you could say? Shit, Itachi, don't you understand what you – ' His voice choked on his words, and he lowered his head in shame as a mixture of relief and sadness washed over him all at once. He couldn't even get his feelings out of his throat.

Itachi crept a little closer and placed his arms around him. The boy was shaking; keeping the heavy sobs inside himself. 'I'm sorry Sasuke,' he murmured, kissing his black hair. 'I'm sorry I couldn't tell you, but it was the only way to get you away from them. They would have killed you as easily as they did me. I could never… ' he paused, lifting the boy's chin and forcing his head up to meet his gaze. '…_ever_ let something happen to you. Everything I've done, everything I've put you through, has been so that I could keep you safe.' He leaned in and kissed his lips, sliding his tongue against the seam just a little, mildly surprised to feel the mouth open and let him in. He drew his tongue around Sasuke's gums and teeth before finding the slick, wet muscle that seemed to evade him. Sasuke kissed him back gently, finding his gut clenching sporadically as his tongue brushed his own.

Parting with a gentle suck of suction, Itachi's lips ghosted over Sasuke's own as he whispered 'I love you,' before kissing him again. Sasuke's eyelids fluttered closed. Everything movement he made felt like he was swimming through honey; his fingertips were throbbing around his brother's shirt as he clung – almost desperately – to him.

'I want to sleep with you tonight,' Itachi said, brushing his thumb from the corner of Sasuke's wet eye down over his right cheekbone. The boy's skin so soft and fine under his finger it felt almost velveteen. He watched closely as Sasuke nodded.

The boy couldn't possibly know the true depths of his desire right at that moment.

Slowly, Itachi gathered the shaking boy into his arms and laid him gently down onto the futon's plush fabric. He could feel Sasuke's breath hitting the skin of his neck, gentle and warm like the boy himself. 'Mmm,' Itachi gave the smallest of moans as he sank down beside his sibling, kissing the soft skin of his trembling throat and sucking at the bump of his adam's apple. Sasuke, all the while, was staring blankly up at the whitewashed ceiling of his room, eyes glazing over just slightly, unable to focus in on anything but his brother lying beside him.

Itachi's fingers were cradling his head, stroking his hair aimlessly and twisting strands around his fingertip. He tilted his head into the caress, almost wanting to purr in contentment. Every little touch only confirmed that Itachi was here and alive. That alone was enough to make him totally and utterly euphoric. Before he realised what he was doing, his hands were gripping at Itachi's hair, pulling his face up to kiss him.

Itachi gave a slight moan at the pain, feeling his scalp sting sharply and his groin ache at the rough treatment. He let Sasuke kiss him, allowing his small tongue deep into his mouth to dominate his own. Their noses bumped, Sasuke's hands twisting into painful fists behind his brother's ears as he watched him flinch.

Parting wetly, Sasuke let his head sink back onto the pillow behind him, gasping for breath. He gave a weak smile as Itachi crawled over him, a knee on either side of his hip as he leant in to lick at the saliva that had trickled from one corner of his mouth. He kissed him chastely; just once on his abused lips.

'Your skin is so cold,' Sasuke said, suppressing a shiver that crept along his shoulders, just like how Itachi's fingers were trailing across his cheek. Even as he looked at his brother, he couldn't help but notice how pale his skin was. It was a sickly white; so pale he almost looked like a ghost. There was something strange about his eyes too. The pupils were dark and glossy, like tiny polished stones, but there was no sharingan, no real _colour_ to the irises around them.

Sasuke assumed the worst. 'Itachi…' he said, placing his hands on his brother's temples and touching behind his ears, feeling the fine hair brush against his fingers. Are you… blind?'

Itachi leaned in a little and kissed the question away.

'…No. I can see you just fine, and you know something?'

Sasuke shook his head lightly, hands sliding from Itachi's hair and down his thin, brittle neck. He pressed in his thumbs and could feel a fluttering pulse. 'What?'

'You've never looked so beautiful.'

If Sasuke had time, he might've blushed, stuttered out an embarrassed response, or maybe even moved to wipe away some tears, but Itachi was pressing down on top of him, tongue thrusting deep into his mouth as he kissed him into a meek submission. Sasuke didn't mind being dominated.

He wrapped his legs around Itachi's waist, arching up until their chests touched and rubbed through the fabric of their clothes. Lifting a knee between his brother's legs, Sasuke gave out a small moan at the hot, hard feeling that pressed against him. Itachi was excited already, and that realisation seemed to shake Sasuke to the core. He wanted his brother. He wanted him to take him.

'I love you,' Itachi was murmuring into his neck, sucking and kissing on the pulse just under the bump of his adam's apple, rocking slightly onto his brother's knee that pressed up between his legs. Sasuke's face was flushed and his chest rising and falling rapidly, and he wanted so desperately to cling onto his brother as he pulled away to sit back on his heels.

Itachi smiled, noticing the longing in his brother's eyes. For a moment, he just sat there, (much to Sasuke's frustration) and admired his brother's body. The way his throat pulsed with life, the way his eyelids flickered over his eyes… And yet, Itachi found himself drawn to one particular point of Sasuke's body, one bit he just couldn't take his eyes off of.

'Turn over for me, Sasuke,' he said, gently coaxing the boy onto his side. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, confused, before complying. Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he let out a shaky sigh before turning over onto his front. He paused, kneeling there on all fours and thinking that that was the position Itachi wanted him in. A cold hand pressed down gently between his shoulder blades and Sasuke relaxed a little.

'You can lie down,' Itachi breathed, easing the tense boy down onto his stomach. With fluid ease, he pulled Sasuke's loose-fitting shirt from his body as he did so. The cotton was soft between his fingertips.

Sasuke pressed his cheek into the pillow of his futon, feeling Itachi slide his cold hands down his bare back. His fingers massaged the bumps of his spine, slipping down and down until he touched the hem of his trousers. Even now, Sasuke found himself having to suppress a nervous lump growing steadily in his throat. Even as his brother removed the last piece of his clothing, he couldn't help the shiver. As his brother's icy fingers brushed the gentle curve of his rear, he couldn't help but moan. He pressed his face hard into the pillow, hands clutching at the cotton and screwing it up.

'_There there,'_ Itachi whispered, leaning forward to kiss Sasuke's back, arching up now into every touch. '_There there, my baby…' _

Sasuke replied with a noise caught between a muffled moan and a cry. His head was spinning, and when he felt tickly hairs brush his lower back and something wet touch just below, he found himself wanting to scream. His desire was so strong, his blood was almost boiling.

Those icy fingers were soon pressing inside him, stretching him just enough to cause discomfort but not any real pain; although Sasuke couldn't help but wince as he felt sharp fingernails scratch inside him. Still, it felt right. It felt natural – after all this time, he couldn't deny it.

It felt better when Itachi withdrew his fingers and pushed himself in gently. The burning stretching pain flared at the base of his spine, and made him cry out as Itachi thrust in all the way. Hard.

'Oh God…_Itachiiii_…nngh…' he moaned, whimpering, not yet adjusted to his brother's girth as he began a punishing pace. Itachi struggled to suppress the moan bubbling up in his throat, and instead, pushed a hand onto the back of his brother's neck and twisted the fine hairs in his grip. His heart thumped heavily against his ribs, the occasional sounds escaping from his lips only fuelling him on. The nails of one hand bit sharply into his brother's hipbone, while the other remained buried tightly in his hair. Wanting to hear more than just the whimpers and moans from Sasuke's mouth, he tugged sharply.

'What am I to you, Sasuke?' He said, thrusting hard to get the boy's full attention.

'_A... brother,'_ Sasuke managed to moan out weakly, wincing as his body was ground further into the futon. The friction made him want to scream, but not as much as the realisation that Itachi, his brother, his own flesh and blood, was fucking him into the floor. He was loving it.

'Say it again.'

'…_you're my brother-ahh!' _Itachi was thrusting especially hard now. He released the hold on Sasuke's hair and wound his hand around the boy's middle, fisting him, squeezing hard to bring fresh tears to his eyes that spilled over onto the pillow. Variations of 'oh God' and 'Yes' seeped from Sasuke's mouth as he found himself pushing back onto his brother's taut body. Itachi fisted his brother faster, positive that there was going to be nasty friction burn there tomorrow, but he didn't care. Sasuke would love it because the mark would be from him – that he was sure of.

He could tell from the way that Sasuke's body twisted and shuddered beneath him that he was close to cumming; he'd been pounding the boy's prostate for a good while now, and his hand wrapped tightly around his brother's erection was sliding easily. The skin trembled on his milky thighs with the effort of keeping himself semi-upright and his back was covered with a sheen of sweat. His black spiked hair lay flat against the back of his damp neck, lying wetly on the very nape.

'That's right Sasuke,' he breathed onto his neck, kissing the skin and pressing his nose into the sweat-slicked hair. 'I'm your brother. I'm your _brother and you're letting me fuck you senseless.' _He wasn't really aware of what words were spilling from his lips. Passion was pulling him along to the edge, and he was going to drag Sasuke over it with him.

'I don't care that you're my baby brother though, Sasuke…' His hand moved faster along Sasuke's erection, ignoring the whimpers of pleasure-pain that were filling the room with an increasing intensity. 'I don't care that you're my very flesh and blood, I love you. I love you, Sasuke.'

And with those words Sasuke came, crying and writhing, into his brother's hand. His come flecked up onto his chin and neck; the position he was in only making it that much easier. Itachi squeezed his eyes shut, moaning lowly in the very depths of his throat as he forced himself into Sasuke's hot, clenching depths. He felt Sasuke's body tighten as he released deep into him; forcing their bodies together with as much strength as he could muster. Sasuke let out a loud moan of pleasure at the feeling of white, liquid heat seeping inside him… filling him up. His head began to swim, easing in and out in gentle waves. He closed his eyes, feeling oddly grateful for the darkness that was swallowing him up.

As he fell unconscious, Sasuke felt Itachi turning him over onto his back and kissing him. A warm tongue eased between his mouth, and then he fell asleep.

* * *

Itachi lay on his side, stroking his brother's hair with careful, ghost-like fingers. The boy was stirring slightly in his sleep, occasionally moving beneath the covers of his futon with flickering eyelids. He had been asleep for a few hours now, Itachi mused, sliding a fingertip from brow to nose.

After their intense lovemaking, Itachi had thought it only necessary to clean his sibling up a bit. Pulling out from his brother, he had proceeded to lick the semen from his neck and chin, smiling as he noticed that some had even reached up to his swollen mouth. He kissed it all away.

Running his fingers through the unruly hair, Itachi gazed down at his baby brother, who was only just starting to wake up.

'Mm…Ita…?' He whispered, reaching up his hands to grab onto Itachi's, moving easily down his face. He brought the cold hands to his mouth and kissed them.

Itachi smiled. 'How are you feeling?'

'Mm, I'm okay… I still can't… can't believe what's really happened to you though.' He watched his older brother prop himself up onto one elbow and rest his head on his palm.

'As in?'

'As in you _died_, Itachi. What happens if there are some weird side effects? What happens if this is only… temporary?'

Itachi reached out a hand and stroked his face, following the line from nose to chin. 'No-one can ever be certain of anything. It has been noted that the success rate of Resurgum is somewhat unpredictable… but even so, we can cross that bridge when we come to it, if necessary.'

'And what about Konoha? The Anbu and the Hokage?' Sasuke watched his sibling carefully for a reaction, but the answer seemed to dawn on him on its own. 'We can't ever go back.'

'No. Don't forget that the Hokage has pronounced me dead to the Anbu squads, so it's not like we could simply turn up at Konoha's gates,' Itachi explained. 'And as for Tsunade, well, we Uchihas are no longer her concern. I'm dead, and you're soon to be pronounced the same. That's all Konoha needs to know.'

Itachi fingered a piece of the boy's hair, twisting it idly between his thumb and forefinger. _I hope you're not regretting this_, he thought to himself as he felt Sasuke's warm breath on his neck. _I know I'm selfish. I know I desire too much. But don't ever tell me you regret this decision. It would kill me. _

He buried his face in Sasuke's raven hair and gave in to sleep. They'd set off as soon as Sasuke awoke.

* * *

'Hey, wake up Otouto. You hear me? You awake?'

Sasuke's eyes flickered open as looked up at his brother. Itachi was standing above him, fully dressed with his hand outstretched, waiting for him to take it. 'Get up, come on, we need to get going.' He offered his hand again, and when Sasuke took it, slightly confused, he pulled him to his feet.

Wincing as he stood up, Sasuke felt a brief moment of embarrassment as the duvet covers pooled at his feet, revealing his naked body to the white eyes of his brother. His thighs felt itchy and unclean, and he didn't dare think what he looked like from behind – a mess probably. But Itachi wasn't looking at him with disgust or even something close to lust, in fact, he wasn't really looking at him at all. He raised his eyebrows at Itachi as he threw him his clothes, now dry from all the rain he had ran through. Itachi caught his look and smiled.

'Don't worry,' he said, sliding his thumb from Sasuke's cheek down to his chin. He stroked a finger across bruised lips before leaning in and kissing them gently. 'I've paid for the room already,' he whispered, smiling as Sasuke pulled away and playfully punched his arm.

* * *

After six long hours of running non-stop through the sparse forests bordering the Waterfall Country, Sasuke started to notice to the ground becoming softer underfoot. The air was moist and heavy, sticking to the nape of his neck in tiny little beads. His feet started to sink in water-logged soil. 'Let's get up into the trees,' Itachi suggested, pausing to wipe the thick mud from his boots as he swung himself up. Sasuke watched him intently, waiting for the slightest falter in his movements to trigger some kind of side-effect.

'You're spacing, Sasuke.'

Itachi was waiting for him, standing on the edge of a juniper tree branch. He was looking a little tired and his chest was rising and falling with each quick breath. 'Come on, we're almost there.'

'And where is it we're going?' Sasuke muttered angrily, pushing chakra into the balls of his feet as he ran up the trunk to join his brother. Fatigue bit at the muscles in his legs, making him feel like he was moving through tar. 'You haven't told me anything since we left the inn.'

Itachi pushed back the hair that fallen into his eyes and attempted to retie his ponytail. 'You don't know of this place,' he said, twisting the elastic around his hair as he spoke. 'To be honest, nobody except me knows of it now. It's a place I visited when I was three… maybe four years old,' he paused, looking at his brother leaning against the sturdy tree trunk to catch his breath. 'You weren't born yet,' he said, with a soft smile that seemed almost sad. Sasuke was intrigued.

'What kind of place are you taking me to, Itachi?' He asked, feeling a mix of worry and curiosity stir deep inside him. The morning sun was slowly burning overhead; bathing the marshlands around them in soft, warm light. The mist would be lifted soon, he thought.

'It'll only take us a few more hours, come on, I'll explain more when we get there.'

Sasuke nodded and followed his brother into the wetness of the Waterfall Country. It was only a minute or so later that he realised Itachi had completely avoided his question.

Two hours later.

'Well, this is it.'

Sasuke breathed heavily, shielding his eyes against the mid-day sun as the juniper trees ended in a sparse clearing, allowing heavy sunlight to flood the area. There, in the middle of the abrupt clearing, stood a small wooden building… a house? Itachi didn't need to say anything as Sasuke stepped forward towards it, almost running as he paused a few feet from its front door, a typical sliding one found in many Japanese properties. This place, this _house_, was very old. In the distance, a heron cried out its harsh, cold notes into the air.

Sasuke turned to look over his shoulder at his brother, watching him with slight hesitation. Itachi himself was feeling a little nervous – or maybe that wasn't quite the word. If you have ever been to a place as a child, and then visit it again when you're an adult, you'll probably understand the unsettling feeling that seemed to shiver its way through Itachi's body. There's a sense of not quite knowing what to expect, of being worried by change. But even still this was, Itachi reminded himself, the only safe place he could think of for the time being. He could live with a little uncomfortable feeling for a while.

'I'm going in,' Sasuke said resolutely, although he hesitated just a bit before reaching out to push the heavy sliding panels aside. They creaked open before locking into place, _ssshTHUMP, sssshTHUMP_, they went, sending clouds of dust spiralling in the light.

Itachi remained outside as he watched his younger brother step into the building. He himself took a step back to examine the place from the outside, and he was oddly surprised to find that it looked exactly the same as he remembered. No windows were broken, and the second story seemed sound. Round the back would be the waterfall and pool, and even now, standing there, Itachi could hear its faint burbling and splashing. He wondered if the water would be as icy as he remembered it being.

'Itachi?'

Sasuke shouted from inside, and Itachi immediately went to join him. He was halfway up the old staircase, a few feet directly in front of the main entrance. It lead up to two bedrooms and a small bathroom, the main rooms downstairs being a living room with plush couches, a kitchen with a small stove and table, and a store-room.

Sasuke slumped, exhausted, onto the middle stair. One hand was gripping the wooden banister for support, whist the other lay across his knees. He glanced up at Itachi who paused at the bottom of the stairs.

'This place…' he began, unable to find the words to carry on.

'This place was a holiday house,' Itachi said helpfully, ascending the stairs to sink down before his younger brother. He took a deep breath. 'It belonged to our mother.'

In a way, Sasuke knew. He didn't know how, logically of course it didn't make sense – he'd never been told of this place, this secluded retreat in the lands of the waterfalls, and he'd never seen it. Yet he knew his mother had been here. He _knew_.

'When Fugaku left on long missions, she would sometimes bring me here. It's a safe place, only known to our Uchiha household, given to our mother by her parents as a present. It's been in our family for years. And… I'm sure she would have brought you here one day too.' Itachi tried carefully to explain without upsetting the fragile child too much. The journey had been exhausting, and tie that in with all the mental fatigue and events that happened recently – and so quickly, he reminded himself – he struggled to understand how Sasuke was coping with it all. He didn't want the memories of their mother to topple Sasuke over the edge.

He started to worry though when Sasuke pulled his arms across his face and began wiping at his eyes.

'Sasuke? Sasuke, please don't cry…' He watched his younger brother ball his fists and wipe his tears angrily away. 'No,' the boy began trying to still his shaky voice. 'No, don't be sorry Itachi. It's not your fault – it never was.'

Itachi smiled weakly and laid his head on Sasuke's lap, closing his eyes as he felt the boy's wet fingers land in his hair. He stroked his long hair, freeing it from the elastic and allowing it to cascade down his back and over his face. The boy's clothes smelt of salty tears and damp air.

Sasuke swallowed down the tight lump in his throat as he continued to pet his brother's hair. Itachi tilted his face a little to look up at his brother and smiled gently, reaching up a cold hand to touch a crystal tear drop falling down his brother's cheek.

'I see her in you,' he whispered, sliding his hand up to the back of his neck and bringing him down for a soft kiss. He kissed away a faint sob, kissed away the tears and the sadness. It was true. Mikoto's black hair, her dark eyes, even her pale skin; Sasuke had inherited it all. Unlike Itachi, there was no harshness to his face like their father had sported; in particular, there were no age lines on his face, a common attribute for men in the Uchiha clan.

It was a lovely thing to see Mikoto in his brother.

Sasuke was muttering nonsensical things against his lips, the hushed words trickling sweetly into his mouth, words like 'I love you', 'I miss her', and 'I'm so glad you're alive and here _with me_.'

Itachi pulled back a little, kissed his brother's ear, and whispered.

'I know. I know, Sasuke, I know.'

And he did. He had never been so sure of anything in his life.

They sat there, on the stairs in a forgotten home, and held each other.

They were safe.

* * *

_If I stay with you and linger here  
Another moment,  
I will fade into the scenery.  
You wouldn't even see me.  
I've got nothing left to offer you.  
It's not that I don't care,  
All I ask is that you think of me,  
I swear,_

_I will run to you,  
When my journey is over.  
Wait for me.  
Keep our love alive.  
I will dream of you,  
'till I reach the sun.  
Then I'll turn around and run to you._

* * *

**Owari.**

A/N:

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this final installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)

Thanks for sticking with me through this story - I've loved writing every bit of it, and I can only hope you will continue to await for updates and new stories from me! Do let me know what you thought of this story in a review, ne? I sincerely hope you enjoyed it, and if not, let me know all the same. :D

Shuri x


End file.
